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dc.contributor.advisorJean-Jacques E. Slotine.en_US
dc.contributor.authorWang, Wei, 1972 Oct. 17-en_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2006-03-24T18:42:07Z
dc.date.available2006-03-24T18:42:07Z
dc.date.copyright2005en_US
dc.date.issued2005en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30343
dc.descriptionThesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2005.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 121-128).en_US
dc.description.abstractThis thesis focuses on the study of collective dynamic behaviors, especially the spontaneous synchronization behavior, of nonlinear networked systems. We derives a body of new results, based on contraction and partial contraction analysis. Contraction is a property regarding the convergence between two arbitrary system trajectories. A nonlinear dynamic system is called contracting if initial conditions or temporary disturbances are forgotten exponentially fast. Partial contraction, introduced in this thesis, is a straightforward but more general application of contraction. It extends contraction analysis to include convergence to behaviors or to specific properties (such as equality of state components, or convergence to a manifold). Contraction and partial contraction provide powerful analysis tools to investigate the stability of large-scale complex systems. For diffusively coupled nonlinear systems, for instance, a general synchronization condition can be derived which connects synchronization rate to net- work structure explicitly. The results are applied to construct flocking or schooling models by extending to coupled networks with switching topology. We further study the networked systems with different kinds of group leaders, one specifying global orientation (power leader), another holding target dynamics (knowledge leader). In a knowledge-based leader-followers network, the followers obtain dynamics information from the leader through adaptive learning. We also study distributed networks with non-negligible time-delays by using simplified wave variables and other contraction-oriented analysis. Conditions for contraction to be preserved regardless of the explicit values of the time-delays are derived.en_US
dc.description.abstract(cont.) Synchronization behavior is shown to be robust if the protocol is linear. Finally, we study the construction of spike-based neural network models, and the development of simple mechanisms for fast inhibition and de-synchronization.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Wei Wang.en_US
dc.format.extent128 p.en_US
dc.format.extent6673115 bytes
dc.format.extent6689331 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
dc.subjectMechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.titleContraction and partial contraction : a study of synchronization in nonlinear networksen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreePh.D.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
dc.identifier.oclc61134167en_US


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