Within a differential–algebraic framework, this paper studies the leader-following consensus problem for networks of a class of strictly different nonlinear systems. In this case, by allowing any type of interplay between followers and assuming a directed spanning tree in the network, a dynamic consensus protocol with diffusive coupling terms is designed to achieve the leader-following consensus. In this setting, it is revealed that the full closed loop network can be interpreted as an input-to-state convergent system. Moreover, with the premise that differential–algebraic techniques allow us to completely characterize its synchronization manifold, a stability analysis for this manifold is presented. Finally, the effectiveness of the approach is shown in two numerical examples that consider a network of chaotic systems.

在微分-代数框架内，本文研究了一类严格不同的非线性系统的网络的领导者遵循共识问题。在这种情况下，通过允许跟随者之间的任何类型的相互作用并假设网络中的有向生成树，设计具有扩散耦合项的动态共识协议以实现跟随领导者的共识。在这种情况下，可以发现全闭环网络可以解释为输入到状态的收敛系统。此外，在微分代数技术允许我们完全表征其同步流形的前提下，对该流形进行了稳定性分析。最后，该方法的有效性在考虑了混沌系统网络的两个数值示例中得到了证明。