Finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of discontinuous complex networks: A unified control framework design

This paper is concerned with the finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of complex networks with discontinuous nodes dynamics. Firstly, under the framework of Filippov solution, a new theorem of finite-time and fixed-time stability is established for nonlinear systems with discontinuous right-hand sides by using mainly reduction to absurdity. Furthermore, for a class of discontinuous complex networks, a general control law is firstly designed. Under the unified control framework and the same conditions, the considered networks are ensured to achieve finite-time or fixed-time synchronization by only adjusting the value of a key control parameter. Based on the similar discussion, a unified control strategy is also provided to realize respectively asymptotical, exponential and finite-time synchronization of the addressed networks. Finally, the derived theoretical results are supported by an example with numerical simulations. (C) 2018 The Franklin Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.