Algorithm to Compute a Kharitonov-Type Sector Containing All Roots of Hurwitz Interval Polynomials

This paper presents a Kharitonov-type algorithm for complex interval Hurwitz polynomials that determines whether all roots of a given interval polynomial lie within a prescribed angular sector of the complex plane. The method requires evaluating a finite set of additional Kharitonov polynomials. For complex coefficient uncertainty, up to sixteen such polynomials are sufficient, while in the real-coefficient case up to eight are needed. A bisection-based refinement procedure is introduced to compute a containing sector that encloses the angles of all roots. The algorithm progressively tightens the sector bounds and can achieve arbitrarily small accuracy. In the real-coefficient case, the symmetry of the construction allows the real Kharitonov result to be derived directly from the complex case. Numerical experiments suggest that the minimal containing sector coincides with the sector determined by the vertex polynomials, or possibly by a subset of them.

💡 Research Summary

The paper introduces a novel Kharitonov‑type algorithm for determining a sector in the complex plane that contains the arguments of all roots of a Hurwitz interval polynomial, both for complex‑coefficient and real‑coefficient cases. Starting from the classical Kharitonov theorems (K4PT for real intervals and K8PT for complex intervals), the authors extend the stability test to angular sector containment.

For a given interval polynomial (P(s;