Free-Matrix-Based Integral Inequality for Stability Analysis of Systems With Time-Varying Delay

The free-weighting matrix and integral-inequality methods are widely used to derive delay-dependent criteria for the stability analysis of time-varying-delay systems because they avoid both the use of a model transformation and the technique of bounding cross terms. This technical note presents a new integral inequality, called a free-matrix-based integral inequality, that further reduces the conservativeness in those methods. It includes well-known integral inequalities as special cases. Using it to investigate the stability of systems with time-varying delays yields less conservative delay-dependent stability criteria, which are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Two numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the method.