Over- and under-convergent step responses in fractional-order transfer functions

In this paper we highlight a remarkable difference between the step responses of a classical second-order transfer function and its fractional-order counterpart. It can be easily shown that the step response of a stable classical second-order transfer function crosses its final value infinitely over time. In contrast, it is illustrated here that the step responses of a fractional-order counterpart of the classical second-order model possess only a finite number of such crossovers. In other words, for such a system one can find a specific time instant after which the step response is over or under-convergent to its final value. This property interprets some phenomena observed in the real-world and should be considered during the design of the control system.