Consensus Conditions for High-Order Multiagent Systems with Nonuniform Delays

Consensus of first-order and second-order multiagent systems has been wildly studied. However, the convergence of high-order (especially the third-order to the sixth-order) state variables is also ubiquitous in various fields. The paper handles consensus problems of high-order multiagent systems in the presence of multiple time delays. Obtained by a novel frequency domain approach which properly resolves the challenges associated with nonuniform time delays, the consensus conditions for the first-order and second-order systems are proven to be nonconservative, and those for the third-order to the sixth-order systems are provided in the form of simple inequalities. The method revealed in this article is applicable to arbitrary-order systems, and the results are less conservative than those based on Lyapunov approaches, because it roots in sufficient and necessary criteria of stabilities. Simulations are carried out to validate the theoretical results.