Consensus Problem In Multi-agent Systems

In recent years,with the fast development of distributed networks and mulit-agentsystems,the cooperative and coordinated control has been a hot area of research.As the basisof the cooperative control of multi-agents,consensus problem attracts much attention frommany different fields.In a multi-agent system,consensus means that some of the agents statesreach at the same values,and consensus protocol is a rule for a agent and its neighborhoodexchanging their information with each other.In this paper,we focus on investigating theconsensus problem of one-order and second-order multi-agent systems and second-ordermulti-agent systems with a virtual leader.Based on a virtual leader,we also investigate theflocking of the multi-agent system.The main work of this paper includes some aspects as follows:Firstly,we introduce some preliminaries such as algebraic graph theory which canillustrate the information exchange topology with multi-agent,stability theorem which canverify the consensus and some consensus protocols in one-order to higher order mulit-agentsystems.Secondly,one-order multi-agent systems and second-order multi-agent systems aredescribed.We introduce the property of leader and mainly investigate the consensus problemin one-order multi-agent system and consensus problem with a virtual leader or not insecond-order multi-agent system.The consensus protocols are studied and proved,it can makeagents reaching the same value.Meanwhile,the correctness of the above theories is verified bynumerical simulation.Finally,we investigate the flocking problem with a virtual leader.The basic concept andthe model of flock are given.A flocking algorithm of multi-agent systems ispresented.According to the principle of LaSalle invariance,this algorithm can make themulti-agent systems achieve consensus.The flocking control simulation with one or morevirtual leader indicate the validity of the theory.