Strict Lyapunov Functions for Dynamic Consensus in Linear Systems Interconnected Over Directed Graphs

We study dynamic consensus for general networked (homogeneous) linear autonomous systems, that is, it is only assumed that they are stabilizable. Dynamic consensus pertains to a general form of consensus in which, as a result of the systems’ interactions, they exhibit a rich collective dynamic behavior. This generalizes the classical consensus paradigm in which case all systems stabilize to a common equilibrium point. Our main statements apply to systems interconnected over generic directed connected graphs and, most significantly, the proofs are constructive. Indeed, even though our controllers are reminiscent of others previously used in the literature, to the best of our knowledge, we provide for the first time in the literature strict Lyapunov functions for fully distributed consensus over generic directed graphs.