S.Skogestad and I.Postlethwaite: "Multivariable feedback control".

Error p. 174, Section 5.6.1 on Inverse response for stable SISO plant:

It is not generally true that the step response for a SISO system with n_z RHP-zeros crosses zero n_z times (thanks to Bjorn Glemmestad for poining this out). As a counterexample for complex RHP-zeros consider (MATLAB)

step([0.04 -0.04 1],[0.1 1.2 2.1 1])

which has a complex pair of RHP-zeros, but no inverse response - and not even any changes in the sign of the first derivative (change in direction).

The statement given in Theorem 2 in Holt and Morari (1985b) (which is referred to in the book) is that "A system with an odd number of RHP-zeros will exhibit an inverse response to a step input (If there are an even number of RHP zeros the response will start in the proper direction, change directions, eventually reversing its sign and moving back toward the steady state)." The first part of the theorem (for an odd number of RHP-zeros) is obvious from the intial and final value theorem. However, the latter part of theorem is not true - at least not for complex RHP-zeros (see the counterexample). For a proof, Holt and Morari (1985b) refer to Rosenbrock (1970). However, I did not find the proof in Rosenbrocks book; can someone help me (skoge@chembio.ntnu.no).

Plant with real RHP zeros

Bernardo A. Leon from Chile has worked on real RHP-zeros, and has proven that a SISO system with n_z real rhp zeros will cross zero AT LEAST n_z times: