Testing stability by quantifier elimination

Abstract

For initial and initial-boundary value problems described by differential equations, stability requires the solutions to behave well for large times. For linear constant-coefficient problems, Fourier and Laplace transforms are used to convert stability problems to questions about roots of polynomials. Many of these questions can be viewed, in a natural way, as quantifier-elimination problems. The Tarski-Seidenberg theorem shows that quantifier-elimination problems are solvable in a finite number of steps. However, the complexity of this algorithm makes it impractical for even the simplest problems. The newer Quantifier Elimination by Partial Algebraic Decomposition (QEPCAD) algorithm is far more practical, allowing the solution of some non-trivial problems. In this paper, we show how to write all common stability problems as quantifier-elimination problems, and develop a set of computer-algebra tools that allows us to find analytic solutions to simple stability problems in a few seconds, and to solve some interesting problems in from a few minutes to a few hours. © 1997 Academic Press Limited.