Degenerate networks and minimal differential equations

For some element values, and/or for some interconnections, linear time-invariant networks become degenerate. A description of an easily programmable algorithm which reduces the equations of any such network is presented. The reduced equations specify a set of linear independent constraints on the inputs, a set of linear independent algebraic constraints on the network variables, and a set of differential equations in the normal form on some of the network variables. In particular, the network variables and the initial conditions that can be chosen arbitrarily are easily read from the reduced equations. One feature of the proposed algorithm is that no change of variable is required; hence the results are readily interpreted.