NPTEL Online Course - 2025

Control Engineering by [Link] Pasumarthy

Assignment 12: Detailed solutions
1. [2 Marks] State space representations are, in general, not unique. One system can be represented
in several possible ways. Which of the following is not the state space representation of the system
represented by the following transfer function?
21
G(s) =
s+5
a. ẋ = −5x + 3u , y = 7x
        
x˙1 −5 0 x1 3 x
b. = + u, y = [7 0] 1
x˙2 0 −1 x2 1 x2
        
x˙1 −5 0 x1 3 x
c. = + u, y = [7 3] 1
x˙2 0 −1 x2 0 x2
        
x˙1 −5 0 x1 3 x
d. = + u, y = [7 3] 1 [correct]
x˙2 0 −1 x2 1 x2

Solution: (d) The transfer function of a system is given by C(sI − A)−1 B. We find the transfer
function of each choice.
(a)

Y (s) 21
= 7(s + 5)−1 3 =
U (s) s+5

(b)
 −1     
Y (s)   s+5 0 3   1/(s + 5) 0 3 21
= 7 0 = 7 0 =
U (s) 0 s+1 1 0 1/(s + 1) 1 s+5

(c)
 −1     
Y (s)   s+5 0 3   1/(s + 5) 0 3 21
= 7 3 = 7 3 =
U (s) 0 s+1 0 0 1/(s + 1) 0 s+5

(d)
 −1     
Y (s)   s+5 0 3   1/(s + 5) 0 3 21 3
= 7 3 = 7 3 = +
U (s) 0 s+1 1 0 1/(s + 1) 1 s+5 s+1

Thus (d) is the only choice which does not have G(s) as its transfer function.
2. [2 Marks] Let à be a similarity transformation of a matrix A via the similarity transformation
matrix T , then which of the following statements is/are true
(a) A and à have the same rank
(b) A and à have same eigenvalues
(c) A and à are always diagonalizable
(d) both (a) and (b)[correct]

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 Correct Answers: (d)

Solution: We can write

à = T −1 AT
à and A are called similar matrices. And by properties of similar matrices, A and à have the same
rank and exactly the same eigenvalues.

3. [2 Marks] If A and B are similar matrices such that A = P −1 BP for any transformation matrix
P , then which of the following statements is true
(a) A2 = P −2 B 2 P 2
(b) A2 = P −2 BP 2
(c) A2 = P −1 B 2 P
(d) A2 = P −1 BP 2
Correct Answer: (c)

Solution: A = P −1 BP . Thus, we can write

A2 = P −1 BP P −1 BP = P −1 B 2 P

4. [2 Marks] Consider the system defined by ẋ = Ax + Bu where

   
0 1 0 0
A= 0 0 1  ; B = 0 (1)
−1 −5 −6 1

By using the state feedback control u = −Kx, it is desired to have the closed loop poles at
s = −1 ± j2, s = −10. The state feedback gain matrix K is
 
(a) K = 25 20 9
 
(b) K = 45 30 8
 
(c) K = 40 25 10
 
(d) K = 49 20 6
Correct Answer: (d)
Solution: The closed loop state matrix, denoted by Acl = A − BK. Thus, the characteristic
equation of the closed loop system is given by

det(sI − Acl ) = s3 + s2 (k3 + 6) + s(k2 + 5) + (k1 + 1) = 0

where we have used K = [k1 k2 k3 ]. To put poles at s = −1±j2, s = −10, compare the characteristic
equation
(s + 1 − 2j)(s + 1 + 2j)(s + 10) = 0
s3 + 12s2 + 25s + 50 = 0
with
s3 + s2 (k3 + 6) + s(k2 + 5) + (k1 + 1) = 0
Thus, we get k3 = 6, k2 = 20, k1 = 49.

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5. [2 Marks] Consider a continuous time LTI system whose dynamics is given by
   
−1 −0.5 0.5
ẋ = x+ u
1 0 0

Which of the following statements are true for the given system? (multiple correct answers are
available)
(a) The system is uncontrollable.
(b) The system is controllable. [Correct]
(c) Rank of the controllability matrix is 1.
(d) Rank of the controllability matrix is 2. [Correct]
Solution: (b), (d) Given
   
−1 −0.5 0.5
ẋ = x+ u
1 0 0

ẋ = Ax + Bu

The controllability matrix is given by

 
Qc = B : AB

We have,
      
0.5 −1 −0.5 0.5 −0.5
B= ; AB = =
0 1 0 0 0.5
 
0.5 −0.5
Qc =
0 0.5
det(Qc ) = (0.5)2 − 0 = 0.25 ̸= 0

Therefore, the system is controllable and the rank of controllability matrix is 2.

   
0 a1 0 b1
6. [2 Marks] Consider the following LTI system, ẋ = Ax + Bu, where A = 0 0 a2 , B = b2 
0 0 0 b3
x ∈ R3 , u ∈ R, a1 , a2 ̸= 0. For the system to be controllable which of the following statement is
true?

(a) b1 ∈ R, b2 ∈ R\{0} and b3 ∈ R\{0}

(b) b1 ∈ R, b2 ∈ R and b3 ∈ R\{0} [Correct]
(c) b1 ∈ R\{0}, b2 ∈ R\{0} and b3 ∈ R\{0}
(d) b1 ∈ R, b2 ∈ R and b3 ∈ R
   
0 a1 0 b1
Solution: (b) Given A = 0 0 a2 , B = b2 
0 0 0 b3

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 The controllability matrix is
Qc = B : AB : A2 B
 

We have,     
0
a1 0 b1 a1 b2
AB = 00 a2  b2  = a2 b3 
00 0 b3 0
    
0 a1 0 a1 b2 a1 a2 b3
A2 B = A : AB = 0 0 a2  a2 b3  =  0 
 
0 0 0 0 0
Therefore,  
b1 a1 b2 a1 a2 b3
Qc = b2 a2 b3 0  = a1 a2 b3 [0 − b3 (a2 b3 )] = −a1 a22 b33
b3 0 0
For the system to be controllable,

Qc ̸= 0 = −a1 a22 b33 ̸= 0 =⇒ b3 ̸= 0 as a1 , a2 ̸= 0

Hence, the condition on b1 , b2 and b3 are b1 ∈ R, b2 ∈ R and b3 ∈ R\{0}.

7. [2 Marks] Consider the following system
 
7 0 0  
ẋ = 0 1 0 x, y = c1 c2 c3 x
0 0 4

The system is observable for

(a) c1 ̸= 0, c3 ̸= 0, c2 ̸= 0 [Correct]
(b) c2 = 0
(c) c1 = 0, c2 = c3 ̸= 0
(d) unobservable for all c1 , c2 , c3
Solution : (a) The system is in the diagonal canonical form. If the diagnonal entries are distinct,
the diagonal form is controllable when c1 ̸= 0, c3 ̸= 0, c2 ̸= 0.
By duality, we can conclude that, the given system is observable when c1 ̸= 0, c3 ̸= 0, c2 ̸= 0.
Therefore, Option (a) is correct.
Just to verify, we can compute the observability matrix.
 
c1 c2 c3
O =  7c1 c2 4c3  .
49c1 c2 16c3

The determinant of O is 54c1 c2 c3 . For the determinant to be non-zero c1 , c2 and c3 should be

non-zero. Therefore, the given system is observable when c1 ̸= 0, c3 ̸= 0, c2 ̸= 0. Option (a) is
correct.
 
8. [2 Marks] Let u = −Kx, where K = k1 k2 is the state-feedback controller. Select all possible
choices of K such that both the eigenvalues of the closed-loop system matrix A−BK are at s = −1.
(multiple answers available)
 
(a) K = 2 0 [correct]

4
  
(b) K = 2 −1 [correct]
 
(c) K = 3 0
(d) Such a K does not exist as the system is uncontrollable.
Solution: (a), (b) We have  
1 − k1 5 − k2
A − BK = .
0 −1

The eigenvalues of this matrix are the solutions of

det(sI − (A − BK)) = 0
s − 1 + k1 −5 + k2
=⇒ =0
0 s+1
=⇒ s2 + k1 s + k1 − 1 = 0.

It is required that both the eigenvalues of A − BK be at −1, i.e., the above polynomial should be

(s + 1)2 = s2 + 2s + 1.

Comparing the coefficients, we see that k1 = 2 gives the required solution, while the value of k2 can
be arbitrary.

Common data for questions 9,10

Consider the state-space system

   
x˙1 x
= A 1 + Bu,
x˙2 x2

where    
1 5 1
A= ,B = .
0 −1 0

9. [2 Marks] What are the eigenvectors of A corresponding to eigenvalues 1 and −1 respectively?

   
0 5
(a) p1 = , p2 =
1 2
   
1 −5
(b) p1 = , p2 =
0 −2
   
1 5
(c) p1 = , p2 = [correct]
0 −2
   
0 5
(d) p1 = , p2 =
1 −2

Solution: (c) Consider the eigenvalue λ = 1. The eigenvectors of this eigenvalue are solutions of
(A − λI)z = 0. This implies
        
0 5 z1 0 z1 1
= =⇒ z2 = 0 =⇒ =α ,
0 −2 z2 0 z2 0

where α is any real number.

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 Similarly, for λ = −1, we get
        
2 5 z1 0 z1 5
= =⇒ 2z1 + 5z2 = 0 =⇒ =β ,
0 0 z2 0 z2 −2

where β is again any real number.

Eigenvectors (and eigenvalues) can also be calculated using the eig command in MATLAB.
 
10. [2 Marks] Let P = p1 p2 be the matrix with eigenvectors of A as its columns. Using P , what
is eAt ?
−2et 5(e−t − et )
 
(a)
0 −2e−t
2e 5(et − e−t )
 t 
(b)
0 2e−t
e 5(et − e−t )/2
 t 
(c) [correct]
0 e−t
−e 5(e−t − et )/2
 t 
(d)
0 −e−t

Solution: (c) We can write

eAt = P eDt P −1 , (2)

   t 
1 0 e 0
where D = =⇒ eDt = . Also,
0 −1 0 e−t
   
adj(P ) 1 −2 −5 1 5/2
P −1 = = = .
det(P ) −2 0 1 0 −1/2

Substituting these in (2), we get the required answer as the matrix in choice (c).