We propose a new decentralized design to control opinion patterns on signed networks of agents making decisions about two options and to switch the network from any opinion pattern to a new desired one. Our method relies on switching transformations, which switch the sign of an agent's opinion at a stable equilibrium by flipping the sign of the interactions with its neighbors. The global dynamical behavior of the switched network can be predicted rigorously when the original, and thus the switched, networks are structurally balanced. Structural balance ensures that the network dynamics are monotone, which makes the study of the basin of attraction of the various opinion patterns amenable to monotone systems theory. We illustrate the utility of the approach through scenarios motivated by multi-robot coordination and dynamic task allocation. Index Terms-Network analysis and control, distributed control, agents-based systems, control of networks, decentralized control.
I. INTRODUCTIONM ODERN networked technologies require decentralized mechanisms for decision-making and allocation of tasks. For example, systems such as smart power grids, cloud computing services, or multi-robot teams, call for strategies that dynamically distribute tasks among individual units to optimize system performance even as task requirements change or units experience failure.
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