Synchronization and Consensus in Networks of Linear Fractional-Order Multi-Agent Systems via Sampled-Data Control.

This article addresses synchronization and consensus problems in networks of linear fractional-order multi-agent systems (LFOMAS) via sampled-data control. First, under very mild assumptions, the necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for achieving synchronization in networks of LFOMAS. Second, the results of synchronization are applied to solve some consensus problems in networks of LFOMAS. In the obtained results, the coupling matrix does not have to be a Laplacian matrix, its off-diagonal elements do not have to be nonnegative, and its row-sum can be nonzero. Finally, the validity of the theoretical results is verified by three simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]