A general approach for synchronisation of nonlinear networked systems with switching topology

This article investigates synchronisation of a nonlinear networked system with switching topology. By defining a common synchronisation manifold for each possible switching topology, exponential synchronisation of a nonlinear networked system can be assessed by the exponential stability of a reduced nonlinear system corresponding to the concerned system, wherein the communication graph can be directed and weighted and the inner-linking matrix might be singular. In particular, a synchronisation criterion consisting of the self-dynamics of isolated nodes and the consensus dynamics of a linear switched system is given. Two numerical simulations of synchronisation are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the analytical results for the periodic and random switching cases.