Distributed<i>H</i>_∞consensus of multi-agent systems: a performance region-based approach

This article addresses the distributed H ∞ consensus problem of multi-agent systems with general linear node dynamics using relative output measurements. The notion of H ∞ consensus performance region is first introduced and then analysed as a basis for the protocol design. A new kind of distributed observer-type H ∞ protocols is further proposed. Theoretical analysis indicates that the distributed H ∞ consensus problem can be solved if and only if the coupling strength of the protocol belongs to the H ∞ performance region of the closed-loop network. Finally, some numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.