Geometric methods for determining system poles from transient response

The problem treated is that of identifying the poles of a finite order system by observing its transient decay after cessation of input, for a limited time, using (possibly) multiple observation points and experimental repetition. Various approaches are studied, having the common characteristic that a homogeneous matrix equation must be solved. Several techniques that have been given scant attention in the literature are consolidated by a geometric treatment, together with new results including an analytical treatment of the consequences of assuming an excessively high system order, derivation of a statistically unbiased estimate for an intermediate parameter in the solution, new theorems on error effects, a recipe for effective use of the singular value decomposition, and a new method for suppression of extraneous poles.