Delay-dependent stability criteria for linear systems with multiple time delays

The problem of the delay-dependent stability of linear systems with multiple time delays is discussed. A new method is first presented for a system with two time delays, in which free weighting matrices are used to express the relationships among the terms of the Leibniz-Newton formula. Next, this method is used to show the equivalence between a system with two identical time delays and a system with a single time delay. Then, a numerical example verifies that the criterion given is effective and is a significant improvement over the existing ones. Finally, the basic idea is extended to a system with multiple time delays.