Unreliable communication in high-performance distributed multi-agent systems: A ingenious scheme in high computing. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mustafa, Ali; Islam, Muhammad Najam ul; Ahmed, Salman; Tufail, Muhammad Ahsan
• Is Part Of: International journal of distributed sensor networks. Volume 14:Number 2(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Multi-agent systems -- unreliable communication -- distributed estimation -- distributed and consensus control; Sensor networks -- Periodicals; Intelligent agents (Computer software) -- Periodicals; Multisensor data fusion -- Periodicals; 681.2
• DOI: 10.1177/1550147718759218
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1550-1329

Abstract

Designing of distributed consensus algorithms featuring accuracy, robustness, reliability, and speed of convergence is in high demand for various multi-agent applications. In this research, it has been investigated to device a novel design of distributed estimation algorithm which can tackle the problem of unreliable communication among multi-agents to achieve consensus on the average value of their initial values and must be capable of computing the total number of agents in the system under dynamically changing interaction topologies. A dynamically changing network topology is considered in this research with unreliable communication links, and four different scenarios are established to be analyzed for the proposed consensus-based distributed estimation algorithm. This study established a consensus for a dynamically changing interaction topology among agents, for addition of agents in the network with dynamically switching topology at any instant in communication, for removal of agents from the network with dynamically switching topology at any instant in communication, and for a fixed topology with link failure and a reconnection with the same agent after each iteration. The proposed algorithm paces up the rate of convergence by reducing the number of iteration, along with sure convergence of the designed algorithm using the concepts of stochastic differential equation theory, control system theory, algebraic graph theory, and algebraic matrix theory. Finally, in the end, simulation results are provided which are clear evidence to validate the effectiveness of theoretical results of the proposed algorithm in comparison to previously known consensus algorithms in terms of different performance parameters.