Title: Simple condition for stability of systems interconnected over networks

Authors: Ather Gattami, Richard M. Murray

Addresses: Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. ' Control and Dynamical Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Abstract: In this paper, analysis of dynamical systems interconnected over networks is considered. A framework for the analysis of the stability of interconnection is given. Previous results that studies the single-input/single-output case for a constant interconnection matrix are generalised to the multi-input/multi-output case where arbitrary dynamic interconnection is allowed. The analysis shows existence of a separation principle that is very useful in the sense of the simplicity for stability analysis. Stability can be checked graphically using a Nyquist-like criterion. The problem with time-delays and interconnection variation and robustness appear to be natural special cases.

Keywords: decentralised control; communication networks; Nyquist criterion; stability analysis; time-delays and interconnection variation; time delay; interconnection robustness; MIMO systems; dynamics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSCC.2010.031161

International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications, 2010 Vol.2 No.1/2/3, pp.122 - 143

Published online: 23 Jan 2010 *

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