Finite-time consensus of nonlinear multi-agent systems with intermittent DoS attacks

Area of Science:

• Control Theory
• Networked Systems
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) are crucial in distributed control.
• Intermittent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks disrupt communication, posing significant challenges to system stability and consensus.
• DoS attacks can alter network topology, leading to partially or completely broken communication links.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the finite-time consensus problem in nonlinear MASs under intermittent DoS attacks.
• To develop a novel finite-time stability criterion for intermittent control systems.
• To establish sufficient conditions for achieving finite-time consensus despite communication disruptions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new finite-time stability standard tailored for intermittent control systems.
• Application of the piecewise Lyapunov function approach to derive stability criteria.
• Analysis of three distinct topological structures induced by DoS attacks: preserved connectivity, partially broken links, and completely broken links.

Main Results:

• Sufficient criteria are derived to guarantee finite-time consensus in nonlinear MASs under intermittent DoS attacks.
• Estimation methods for the settling time are provided.
• Demonstration that increased availability of valuable information leads to reduced settling times.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methods effectively ensure finite-time consensus in nonlinear MASs despite intermittent DoS attacks.
• The derived stability criteria offer a robust framework for analyzing such systems.
• System performance, specifically settling time, can be optimized by leveraging available information.