Role of Iso-connectivity Topologies in Multi-agent Interactions

Abstract

In this paper, we present the benefits of exploring different topologies with equal connectivity measure, or iso-connectivity topologies, in relation to the multiagent system dynamics. The level of global information sharing ability among agents in a multi-agent network can be quantified by a connectivity measure, called as the Algebraic Connectivity of the associated graph consisting of point-mass agents as nodes and inter-connection links between them as edges. Distinct topologies with the same connectivity play profound role in multi-agent dynamics as they offer various ways to reorganize agents locations according to the requirement during a cooperative mission, without sacrificing the information exchange capability of the entire network. Determination of the distinct multi-agent graphs with identical connectivity is a multimodal problem, in other words, there exist multiple graphs that share the same connectivity. We present analytical solutions of determining distinct graphs with identical connectivity. A family of isospectral graphs are found out by utilizing an appropriate similarity transformation. Moreover, a zone of no connectivity change in a dense graph is unraveled where an agent can move freely without causing any change in the global connectivity. The proposed solutions are validated with the help of sufficient examples.

A Generic Formation Controller and State Observer for Multiple Unmanned Systems

“…In a multi-UAV graph, the mapping from the agent topological configuration space to the connectivity is an example of multiple-to-one or surjective mapping, which in turn means that the problem of identifying a particular topology from just the connectivity measure is not unique and there can exist distinct multi-agent topologies of identical connectivity [Dutta and Pack 2016].…”