Some Remarks on Positive/Negative Feedback

Abstract: In the context of unstable systems with control, a commonly-held precept is that negative and positive feedback cannot both be stabilizing. The canonical linear prototype is the scalar system $\dot x=u$ which, under negative linear feedback $u=-kx$ ($k >0$) is exponentially stable for all $k >0 $, whereas the inherent lack of exponential instability of the uncontrolled system is amplified by positive feedback $u=kx$ ($k >0)$. By contrast, for nonlinear systems it is shown that this intuitively-appealing dichotomy may fail to hold.