A class of robust consensus algorithms with predefined-time convergence under switching topologies

This paper addresses the robust consensus problem under switching topologies. Contrary to existing methods, the proposed approach provides decentralized protocols that achieve consensus for networked multi-agent systems in a predefined time. Namely, the protocol design provides a tuning parameter that allows setting the convergence time of the agents to a consensus state. An appropriate Lyapunov analysis exposes the capability of the current proposal to achieve predefined-time consensus over switching topologies despite the presence of bounded perturbations. Finally, the paper presents a comparison showing that the suggested approach subsumes existing fixed-time consensus algorithms and provides extra degrees of freedom to obtain predefined-time consensus protocols that are less over-engineered, i.e., the difference between the estimated convergence time and its actual value is lower in our approach. Numerical results are given to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approach.