Explicit stability condition for delta fractional order systems with α∈(0,+∞).

This paper delves into the stability of time-advance delta fractional order systems, with a specific emphasis on the order range (0,+∞) rather than the conventional range (0,1). The delta Laplace transform is used to investigate the stability of the suggested system, and a mapping relation ρ=ss+1 is introduced. The explicit stability condition is provided, articulated in relation to a specific distribution of eigenvalues of the system matrix. To validate this condition, the paper establishes equivalence between the delta difference and the nabla difference. Furthermore, both quantitative and qualitative analyses are conducted on the range of the unstable region. Finally, the correctness of the developed results is validated by three examples.

Complete Stability of Delayed Recurrent Neural Networks With New Wave-Type Activation Functions.

Activation functions have a significant effect on the dynamics of neural networks (NNs). This study proposes new nonmonotonic wave-type activation functions and examines the complete stability of delayed recurrent NNs (DRNNs) with these activation functions. Using the geometrical properties of the wave-type activation function and subsequent iteration scheme, sufficient conditions are provided to ensure that a DRNN with n neurons has exactly (2m + 3)n equilibria, where (m + 2)n equilibria are locally exponentially stable, the remainder (2m + 3)n - (m + 2)n equilibria are unstable, and a positive integer m is related to wave-type activation functions. Furthermore, the DRNN with the proposed activation function is completely stable. Compared with the previous literature, the total number of equilibria and the stable equilibria significantly increase, thereby enhancing the memory storage capacity of DRNN. Finally, several examples are presented to demonstrate our proposed results.

Fixed-time synchronization for two-dimensional coupled reaction-diffusion complex networks: Boundary conditions analysis.

This paper examines fixed-time synchronization (FxTS) for two-dimensional coupled reaction-diffusion complex networks (CRDCNs) with impulses and delay. Utilizing the Lyapunov method, a FxTS criterion is established for impulsive delayed CRDCNs. Herein, impulses encompass both synchronizing and desynchronizing variants. Subsequently, by employing a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, two FxTS boundary controllers are formulated for CRDCNs with Neumann and mixed boundary condition, respectively. It is observed that vanishing Dirichlet boundary contributes to the synchronization of the CRDCNs. Furthermore, this study calculates the optimal constant for the Poincaré inequality in the square domain, which is instrumental in analyzing FxTS conditions for boundary controllers. Conclusive numerical examples underscore the efficacy of the proposed theoretical findings.

Finite-time guarantee-cost H∞ consensus control of second-order multi-agent systems based on sampled-data event-triggered mechanisms.

This study presents a solution to the challenges of tracking consensus and guarantee-cost H∞ control in a specific set of second-order multi-agent systems with external disturbances. A proposed event-triggered control method based on periodic sampling data is presented for second-order multi-agent systems that include external disturbances. In contrast to the real-time monitoring of system state information used in the previous event-triggered mechanism, this approach collects system state information through periodic sampling. This ensures that the interval between two consecutive triggering moments is at least one sampling cycle, thereby preventing the controller from triggering infinitely within a finite time frame. A finite-time controller based on the sampled-data event-triggered mechanism is designed, and sufficient conditions to ensure the finite-time stability of the closed-loop system at a specified attenuation level are established using theoretical methods such as matrix analysis. For the given sampled-data event-triggered control protocol with a finite-time controller, a quadratic guarantee-cost function is introduced, and by designing control inputs and determining the parameters such as the finite-time upper bound T∗ and the H∞ performance index γ , the exact value of the upper bound of the system's guarantee-cost function under the action of the designed controller is derived. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed control scheme is verified through numerical simulation.

Composite adaptive fuzzy bipartite consensus of fractional-order multiagent systems with a switched event-triggered mechanism.

This paper focuses on online recorded-data-based composite adaptive fuzzy bipartite consensus control for uncertain fractional-order multiagent systems with interconnected terms and external disturbances by employing a switched-threshold-based event-triggered mechanism (ETM) under the backstepping structure. Fuzzy logic system is used as a universal function approximation to deal with function uncertainties that are not prone to model in the system. A new composite learning adaptive parameter design scheme that synthesizes both prediction error and tracking error is developed to enhance the tracking performance, where the prediction error is raised from the utilization of online recorded data and instantaneous data. A unique switched-threshold-based ETM is introduced, in which the information transmission between the sensor and the controller is imposed on one of the individuals. One merit of this work consists in that it can automatically and rapidly switch and adjust between the fixed threshold and relative threshold ETM according to the amplitude of input signals to balance the network resources and impede the occurrence of pulse phenomenon. In addition, it is theoretically proven that the proposed scheme can ensure that all internal signals of the closed-loop system are bounded and achieve local bipartite consistent errors through the fractional Lyapunov stability criterion. Finally, a numerical example is provided to confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach.

How to regulate pattern formations for malware propagation in cyber-physical systems.

Malware propagation can be fatal to cyber-physical systems. How to detect and prevent the spatiotemporal evolution of malware is the major challenge we are facing now. This paper is concerned with the control of Turing patterns arising in a malware propagation model depicted by partial differential equations for the first time. From the control theoretic perspective, the goal is not only to predict the formation and evolution of patterns but also to design the spatiotemporal state feedback scheme to modulate the switch of patterns between different modes. The Turing instability conditions are obtained for the controlled malware propagation model with cross-diffusion. Then, the multi-scale analysis is carried out to explore the amplitude equations near the threshold of Turing bifurcation. The selection and stability of pattern formations are determined based on the established amplitude equations. It is proved that the reaction-diffusion propagation model has three types of patterns: hexagonal pattern, striped pattern, and mixed pattern, and selecting the appropriate control parameters can make the pattern transform among the three patterns. The results of the analysis are numerically verified and provide valuable insights into dynamics and control of patterns embedded in reaction-diffusion systems.

Sliding Mode Control for Markov Jump Singularly Perturbed Systems Under Piecewise Homogeneous Stochastic Communication Protocol.

This work involves the sliding mode control (SMC) issue for a class of Markov jump singularly perturbed systems (MJSPSs) under consideration of unmatched external disturbances and communication constraints. For the first time, the piecewise homogeneous Markov chain (MC) which depends on the system mode and the controller mode is applied to control the scheduling of stochastic communication protocol (SCP), so that the MCs in the system models, the controller and the SCP constitute a three-layer nonstationary Markov model (NMM). This model perfectly describes the different objects of the three MCs and reflects the mutual regulation among them. The critical issue is to devise an adaptive controller and a sliding surface (SS) simultaneously under SCP scheduling. By applying a standard singular sliding mode surface, an appropriate nonstationary SMC law is established to promise the accessibility of the SS and the stability of the closed-loop system (CLS), and meet the expected performance indicator. Further, using the mode-dependent Lyapunov function and piecewise homogeneous Markov model method, sufficient criteria are obtained. The specific expression of the control gain is obtained by matrix decoupling technology. Finally, a numerical simulation is furnished to testify the correctness of the conclusion.

Final epidemic size and critical times for susceptible-infectious-recovered models with a generalized contact rate.

During the spread of an infectious disease, the contact rate or the incidence rate may affect disease characteristics. For simplicity, most disease models assume standard incidence or mass action rates to calculate the basic reproduction number, final epidemic size, and peak time of an epidemic. For standard incidence, the contact rate remains constant resulting in the incidence rate is inversely proportional to the population size, while for the mass action rate, this contact rate is proportional to the total population size resulting in the incidence rate is independent of the population size. In this paper, we consider susceptible-infectious-recovered epidemic models with a generalized contact rate C(N) and a nonlinear incidence rate in view of the behavioral change from susceptible or infectious individuals when an infectious disease appears. The basic reproduction number and the final size equation are derived. The impact of different types of contact rates on them is studied. Moreover, two critical times (peak time and epidemic duration) of an epidemic are considered. Explicit formulas for the peak time and epidemic duration are obtained. These formulas are helpful not only for taking early effective epidemic precautions but also for understanding how the epidemic duration can be changed by acting on the model parameters, especially when the epidemic model is used to make public health policy.

Event-Triggered Impulsive Control for Input-to-State Stabilization of Nonlinear Time-Delay Systems.

This article investigates the event-triggered impulsive control (ETIC) problem for a class of nonlinear time-delay systems subject to exogenous disturbances. An original event-triggered mechanism (ETM) which utilizes the information of system state and external input is constructed based on Lyapunov function approach. To achieve the input-to-state stability (ISS) of the considered system, some sufficient conditions are presented, in which the underlying relationship among ETM, exogenous input, and impulse action is established. Furthermore, the possible Zeno behavior induced by the proposed ETM is excluded simultaneously. As an application, the design criterion of ETM and impulse gain is put forward for a class of impulsive control systems with delay according to the feasibility of some linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, two examples with numerical simulations are provided to confirm the effectiveness of the developed theoretical results, where the synchronization issue of delayed Chua's circuit is considered.

Asynchronous Sliding-Mode Control for Discrete-Time Networked Hidden Stochastic Jump Systems With Cyber Attacks.

In this study, asynchronous sliding-mode control (SMC) for discrete-time networked hidden stochastic jump systems subjected to the semi-Markov kernel (SMK) and cyber attacks is investigated. Considering the statistical characteristic of the SMK, which is challenging to acquire in engineering, this study recognizes the SMK to be incomplete. Due to the mode mismatch between the original system and the control law in the operating process, a hidden semi-Markov model is proposed to describe the considered asynchronous situation. The main aim of this study is to construct an asynchronous SMC mechanism based on an incomplete SMK framework under the condition of random denial-of-service attacks so that the resulting closed-loop system can realize the mean-square stability. By virtue of the upper bound of the sojourn time in each mode, innovative techniques are developed for mean-square stability analysis under an incomplete SMK. Furthermore, an asynchronous SMC scheme is designed to achieve the reachability of the quasi-sliding mode. Finally, the effectiveness is verified using an electronic throttle model.

Preassigned-time synchronization for complex-valued memristive neural networks with reaction-diffusion terms and Markov parameters.

This study addresses the preassigned-time synchronization for complex-valued memristive neural networks with reaction-diffusion terms and Markov parameters. Employing a preassigned-time stable control strategy, two distinct controllers with varying power exponent parameters are designed to ensure that synchronization can be achieved within a predefined time frame. Unlike existing finite/fixed-time results, a priori specification of the settling time is addressed. Furthermore, Green's formula and boundary conditions are efficiently applied to overcome potential symmetry loss. Additionally, the activation function's constraint range is more lenient compared to existing constraints. Finally, the effectiveness of the presented methods are demonstrated through two examples.

Event-triggered impulsive cluster synchronization of coupled reaction-diffusion neural networks and its application to image encryption.

This paper investigates the cluster synchronization of coupled neural networks with reaction-diffusion terms. With the help of impulsive control strategies, some cluster synchronization criteria are proposed by an appropriate event-triggered mechanism. A numerical example is given to verify the validity of the theoretical results. Additionally, the proposed event-triggered impulsive synchronization is successfully applied to image encryption with encouraging cryptanalysis results demonstrating its strong ability to efficiently encrypt images.

Neurodynamic approaches for multi-agent distributed optimization.

This paper considers a class of multi-agent distributed convex optimization with a common set of constraints and provides several continuous-time neurodynamic approaches. In problem transformation, l1 and l2 penalty methods are used respectively to cast the linear consensus constraint into the objective function, which avoids introducing auxiliary variables and only involves information exchange among primal variables in the process of solving the problem. For nonsmooth cost functions, two differential inclusions with projection operator are proposed. Without convexity of the differential inclusions, the asymptotic behavior and convergence properties are explored. For smooth cost functions, by harnessing the smoothness of l2 penalty function, finite- and fixed-time convergent algorithms are provided via a specifically designed average consensus estimator. Finally, several numerical examples in the multi-agent simulation environment are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed neurodynamic approaches.

Cluster Synchronization of Finite-Field Networks.

This technical paper investigates the cluster synchronization of finite-field networks (FFNs) based on the algebraic state space representation. By resorting to the semi-tensor product of matrices, the cluster synchronization of an FFN can be completely converted into the set stability of state trajectory. Then, a necessary and sufficient condition for the cluster synchronization of FFNs is obtained based on the invariant subset and one-step transition matrix. In particular, the obtained results are applicable to check the leader-follower synchronization and group consensus of FFNs. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the feasibility of the obtained results.

Event-triggered aperiodic intermittent control for linear time-varying systems.

This paper considers the aperiodic intermittent control (AIC) for linear time-varying systems (LTVSs), where the occurrence instants are determined by an event triggering mechanism based on Lyapunov functions. For LTVSs, most of the existing results are demanded that the feedback controls are exerted all the time. In fact, in many practical applications, the applied controls are unnecessary/impossible to be imposed all the time. Therefore, the event-triggered AIC is introduced in this paper for LTVSs, and the uniformly stability, globally asymptotic stability and finite-time stability are proposed for LTVSs with event-triggered AIC, respectively. In addition, by using the piecewise constant feedback control method, effective intermittent controllers are designed for LTVSs. Finally, we present two numerical examples to illustrate the efficacy of the derived results.

Almost periodic quasi-projective synchronization of delayed fractional-order quaternion-valued neural networks.

This paper examines the issue of almost periodic quasi-projective synchronization of delayed fractional-order quaternion-valued neural networks. First, using a direct method rather than decomposing the fractional quaternion-valued system into four equivalent fractional real-valued systems, using Banach's fixed point theorem, according to the basic properties of fractional calculus and some inequality methods, we obtain that there is a unique almost periodic solution for this class of neural network with some sufficient conditions. Next, by constructing a suitable Lyapunov functional, using the characteristic of the Mittag-Leffler function and the scaling idea of the inequality, the adequate conditions for the quasi-projective synchronization of the established model are derived, and the upper bound of the systematic error is estimated. Finally, further use Matlab is used to carry out two numerical simulations to prove the results of theoretical analysis.

Multistability of State-Dependent Switched Fractional-Order Hopfield Neural Networks With Mexican-Hat Activation Function and Its Application in Associative Memories.

The multistability and its application in associative memories are investigated in this article for state-dependent switched fractional-order Hopfield neural networks (FOHNNs) with Mexican-hat activation function (AF). Based on the Brouwer's fixed point theorem, the contraction mapping principle and the theory of fractional-order differential equations, some sufficient conditions are established to ensure the existence, exact existence and local stability of multiple equilibrium points (EPs) in the sense of Filippov, in which the positively invariant sets are also estimated. In particular, the analysis concerning the existence and stability of EPs is quite different from those in the literature because the considered system involves both fractional-order derivative and state-dependent switching. It should be pointed out that, compared with the results in the literature, the total number of EPs and stable EPs increases from 5l1 3l2 and 3l1 2l2 to 7l1 5l2 and 4l1 3l2 , respectively, where 0 ≤ l1 + l2 ≤ n with n being the system dimension. Besides, a new method is designed to realize associative memories for grayscale and color images by introducing a deviation vector, which, in comparison with the existing works, not only improves the utilization efficiency of EPs, but also reduces the system dimension and computational burden. Finally, the effectiveness of the theoretical results is illustrated by four numerical simulations.

Cumulative Capacitated Colored Traveling Salesman Problem.

A colored traveling salesman problem (CTSP) is a generalization of the well-known multiple traveling salesman problem, which introduces colors to distinguish the accessibility of its cities to salesmen. This work proposes a city/customer-centric model called cumulative capacitated CTSP ( C2 -CTSP) to tackle some practical problems with fast response requirements. Its hypergraph and mathematical programming formulations are developed for the first time. A general variable neighborhood search (GVNS) metaheuristic is designed to solve it. Specifically, greedy backtracking is proposed to initialize a solution taking into account the cumulative cost and two constraints including colors and capacities. Next, 2-swap, reinsertion, and double-bridge operations are randomly selected and carried out to execute the perturbation. Moreover, neighborhood-list-2-opt, relocation move, and generalized partition crossover are organized as variable neighborhood descent to constitute the local search for better solutions. Extensive experiments are conducted to compare the proposed GVNS with four genetic algorithms, two hybrid ant colony systems, two variable neighborhood search methods, and a perturb-based local search in 20 regular and random cases. The statistical results demonstrate that GVNS is superior to all competitors tuned by irace package in terms of both search ability and convergence rate. In addition, the study of six GVNS variants lacking different operators validates the significant role of each corresponding operator in GVNS's outstanding performance.

Communication-Efficient Nonconvex Federated Learning With Error Feedback for Uplink and Downlink.

Facing large-scale online learning, the reliance on sophisticated model architectures often leads to nonconvex distributed optimization, which is more challenging than convex problems. Online recruited workers, such as mobile phone, laptop, and desktop computers, often have narrower uplink bandwidths than downlink. In this article, we propose two communication-efficient nonconvex federated learning algorithms with error feedback 2021 (EF21) and lazily aggregated gradient (LAG) for adapting uplink and downlink communications. EF21 is a new and theoretically better EF, which consistently and substantially outperforms vanilla EF in practice. LAG is a gradient filtration technique for adapting communication. For reducing communication costs of uplink, we design an effective LAG rule and then give EF21 with LAG (EF-LAG) algorithm, which combines EF21 and our LAG rule. We also present a bidirectional EF-LAG (BiEF-LAG) algorithm for reducing uplink and downlink communication costs. Theoretically, our proposed algorithms enjoy the same fast convergence rate O(1/T) as gradient descent (GD) for smooth nonconvex learning. That is, our algorithms greatly reduce communication costs without sacrificing the quality of learning. Numerical experiments on both synthetic data and deep learning benchmarks show significant empirical superiority of our algorithms in communication.

STFuse: Infrared and Visible Image Fusion via Semisupervised Transfer Learning.

Infrared and visible image fusion (IVIF) aims to obtain an image that contains complementary information about the source images. However, it is challenging to define complementary information between source images in the lack of ground truth and without borrowing prior knowledge. Therefore, we propose a semisupervised transfer learning-based method for IVIF, termed STFuse, which aims to transfer knowledge from an informative source domain to a target domain, thus breaking the above limitations. The critical aspect of our method is to borrow supervised knowledge from the multifocus image fusion (MFIF) task and to filter out task-specific attribute knowledge by using a guidance loss Lg , which motivates its cross-task use in IVIF tasks. Using this cross-task knowledge effectively alleviates the limitation of the lack of ground truth on fusion performance, and the complementary expression ability under the constraint of supervised knowledge is more instructive than prior knowledge. Moreover, we designed a cross-feature enhancement module (CEM) that utilizes self-attention and mutual-attention features to guide each branch to refine features and then facilitate the integration of cross-modal complementary features. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method has good advantages in terms of visual quality and statistical metrics, as well as the docking of high-level vision tasks, compared with other state-of-the-art methods.