Singularly Perturbed Hybrid Systems for Analysis of Networks With Frequently Switching Graphs

Abstract

For a class of hybrid systems, where jumps occur frequently, we analyze the stability of system trajectories in view of singularly perturbed dynamics. The specific model we consider comprises an interconnection of two hybrid subsystems, a timer which triggers the jumps, and some discrete variables to determine the index of the jump maps. The flow equations of these variables are singularly perturbed differential equations and, in particular, a smaller value of the singular perturbation parameter leads to an increase in the frequency of the jump instants. For the limiting value of this parameter, we consider a decomposition that comprises a quasi-steady-state system modeled by a differential equation without any jumps and a boundary-layer system described by purely discrete dynamics. Under appropriate assumptions on the quasi-steady-state system and the boundary-layer system, we derive results showing practical stability of a compact attractor when the jumps occur sufficiently often. As an application of our results, we discuss the control design problem in a network of second-order continuous-time coupled oscillators, where each agent communicates the information about its position to some of its neighbors at discrete times. Using the results developed in this article, we show that if the union of the communication graphs being used for information exchange between agents is connected, then the oscillators achieve practical consensus.