Scaled group consensus in multi-agent networks with high-order continuous dynamics

Abstract

We investigate scaled group consensus problems of high-order multi-agent systems with directed information exchanges. As one of multiple consensus, the scaled group consensus focuses on both cooperations and competitions among multi-agent sub-networks and cooperations among agents belonging to a sub-network. Two distributed protocols are designed to solve the scaled group consensus problems. The (generalised) Routh–Hurwitz stability criterion and matrix theory are utilised to establish necessary and sufficient conditions guaranteeing the agents reaching the scaled group consensus. Finally, several simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

Keywords:

• Multi-agent systems
• scaled group consensus
• high-order dynamics
• distributed protocols
• Routh–Hurwitz stability criterion

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NSFC (61473116, 61473061, 61903067, 61976048), BNSF (4172015), Doctoral Fund of Henan Institute of Engineering D2012020 and Applied Basic Research Programs of Science and Technology Department in Sichuan Province 2019YJ0185.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NSFC [grant number 61473116], [grant number 61473061], [grant number 61903067], [grant number 61976048], BNSF [grant number 4172015], Doctoral Fund of Henan Institute of Engineering [grant number D2012020] and Applied Basic Research Programs of Science and Technology Department in Sichuan Province [grant number 2019YJ0185].

Notes on contributors

Junyan Yu

Junyan Yu received the bachelor's and master's degrees from the Department of Mathematics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, in 2002 and 2005, respectively, and the Doctorate degree from the Center for Systems and Control, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China in 2010. She is currently an Associate Professor with the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China. Her current research interests include networked control systems, multi-agent systems, robust control and optimal control.

Qiongyan Yu

Qiongyan Yu received the Doctorate degree from School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, in 2011. She is currently engaged in the research of photoelectric materials in college of science, Henan University of Engineering, Zhengzhou, China.

Mei Yu

Mei Yu is an Associate professor at the School of Control and Computer Engineering, North China Electric Power University. Her research interests include network control and complex network.

Yanping Gao

Yanping Gao received her BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from Ocean University of Chinain 2003 and 2006, respectively, and PhD degree from Peking University in 2011. She is currently an Associate Professor in Beijing Technology and Business University. Her research interests are in the fields of multi-agent systems, consensus problems and collective intelligence.