Methods for computing the time response of fractional-order systems

There is considerable interest in the study of fractional-order systems but obtaining accurate time domain responses is a difficult problem. This is because all methods reported on to date use approximations for the fractional derivative both for analytical-based computations and more relevantly in simulation studies. This means unlike in integer systems exact simulations are not available and thus for considering non-linear problems and comparisons with measured data no exact solution reference exists. In this study, the authors provide a major breakthrough for this situation by developing methods which allow the exact computation of the time responses of fractional-order systems.