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Introduction to Synchronization in Nature and Physics and Cooperative Control for Multi-Agent Systems on Graphs

  • Frank L. Lewis*
  • , Hongwei Zhang
  • , Kristian Hengster-Movric
  • , Abhijit Das
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Texas at Arlington
  • Southwest Jiaotong University
  • Danfoss AS

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of synchronization behavior in nature and social systems. It is seen that distributed decisions made by each agent in a group based only on the information locally available to it can result in collective synchronized motion of an overall group. The idea of a communication graph that models the information flows in a multi-agent group is introduced. Mechanisms are given by which decisions can be made locally by each agent and informed leaders can guide collective behaviors by interacting directly with only a few agents. Synchronization and collective behavior phenomena are discussed in biological systems, physics and chemistry, and engineered systems. The dependence of collective behaviors of a group on the type of information flow allowed between its agents is emphasized. Various different graph topologies are presented including random graphs, small-world networks, scale-free networks, and distance formation graphs. The early work in cooperative control systems on graphs is outlined.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCommunications and Control Engineering
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Pages1-21
Number of pages21
Edition9781447155737
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameCommunications and Control Engineering
Number9781447155737
ISSN (Print)0178-5354
ISSN (Electronic)2197-7119

Keywords

  • Migration
  • Vortex

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