Fixed-time optimal bipartite containment fault-tolerant control for multi-agent systems under multiple faults and saturated actuation

Ning Xu, Li Tang and Abdullah A. Al-Barakati

Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), 2026, vol. 245, issue C, 242-259

Abstract: This paper addresses the fixed-time optimal bipartite containment control problem for nonlinear multi-agent systems under multiple simultaneous faults — including concurrent actuator and sensor faults — and input saturation. A key contribution is a unified disturbance-observer–based reinforcement learning framework that integrates fault tolerance with optimal control objectives. By designing a novel performance index function, the traditional containment control problem is reformulated as an optimal control problem, enabling an explicit trade-off between control accuracy and energy consumption. To solve the corresponding Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation without relying on accurate system dynamics, a neural reinforcement learning algorithm with an identifier–critic–actor architecture is developed. A disturbance observer is incorporated to actively estimate and compensate for external disturbances, while an auxiliary system is introduced to alleviate input saturation effects. The resulting fixed-time optimal controller ensures that all bipartite containment errors converge to a small neighborhood of the origin within a fixed time independent of initial conditions, while maintaining uniform boundedness of all closed-loop signals. Simulation results validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method in achieving simultaneous fault tolerance, disturbance rejection, and optimal performance under saturated actuation conditions.

Keywords: Multi-agent systems; Bipartite containment control; Fault tolerant control; Fixed-time control; Reinforcement learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378475426000017
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:matcom:v:245:y:2026:i:c:p:242-259

DOI: 10.1016/j.matcom.2026.01.001

Access Statistics for this article

Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) is currently edited by Robert Beauwens

More articles in Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().