Complex-Valued Kuramoto Networks: A Unified Control-Theoretic Framework
Abstract
Synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators is classically studied via the Kuramoto model, whose intrinsic nonlinearity limits analytical tractability and complicates control design. Complex-valued extensions circumvent this by embedding phase dynamics into a higher-dimensional linear state space, where regulating complex-state moduli to a common value recovers Kuramoto phase behavior. Existing approaches to address this problem correspond, within a unified control framework, to state-feedback and hybrid reset-based strategies, each with performance constraints. We propose two switched control designs that overcome these limitations: a switched feedforward law ensuring exact phase correspondence at all times, and a feedforward plus sliding-mode law achieving finite-time convergence without spectral gain tuning. Additionally, we present a non-autonomous complex-valued MIMO sliding-mode controller that enforces phase locking at a prescribed frequency in finite time, independent of natural frequencies and coupling strengths. Simulations confirm improved transient response, steady-state accuracy, and robustness, including synchronization of heterogeneous networks where the classical real-valued Kuramoto model fails.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.07249,
title = {Complex-Valued Kuramoto Networks: A Unified Control-Theoretic Framework},
author = {Lorenzo Giordano and Josep M. Olm and Mario di Bernardo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.07249},
year = {2026}
}