Controllability of Multi-Agent Systems from a Graph-Theoretic Perspective

Abstract

In this work, we consider the controlled agreement problem for multi-agent networks, where a collection of agents take on leader roles while the remaining agents execute local, consensus-like protocols. Our aim is to identify reflections of graph-theoretic notions on system-theoretic properties of such systems. In particular, we show how the symmetry structure of the network, characterized in terms of its automorphism group, directly relates to the controllability of the corresponding multi-agent system. Moreover, we introduce network equitable partitions as a means by which such controllability characterizations can be extended to the multileader setting.