On discrete-time convergence for general linear multi-agent systems under dynamic topology

Abstract

This note aims to develop the nonnegative matrix theory, in particular the product properties of infinite row-stochastic matrices, which is widely used for multiple integrator agents, to deal with the convergence analysis of general discrete-time linear multi-agent systems (MASs). With the proposed approach, it is finally shown both theoretically and by simulation that the consensus for all the agents can be reached exponentially fast under relaxed conditions, i.e. the individual uncoupled system is allowed to be strictly unstable (in the discrete-time sense) and it is only required that the joint of the communication topologies has a spanning tree frequently enough. Moreover, a least convergence rate as well as an upper bound for the strictly unstable mode, which are independent of the switching mode of the system, are specified as well.