Quasi-synchronization of heterogenous fractional-order dynamical networks with time-varying delay via distributed impulsive control

Abstract This paper investigates the quasi-synchronization problem of a heterogeneous dynamical network. All nodes have fractional order dynamical behavior with time-varying delay. The distributed impulsive control strategy is applied to drive all the nodes to approximately synchronize with the target orbit within a nonzero error bound. A new comparison principle of impulsive fractional order functional differential equation has been built at first. Then, based on the Lyapunov stability theory, some basic theories of fractional order functional differential equation, and the definition of an average impulsive interval, some quasi-synchronization criteria are derived with explicit expressions of the error bound. Both synchronizing impulses and desynchronizing impulses are discussed in this paper. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the validity of the theoretical analysis.