Distributed Attraction-Repulsion Potential for Multi-Agent Formation Control

TL;DR

This paper analyzes a distributed multi-agent formation control system based on Lennard-Jones potential, proving collision avoidance, stability, and convergence to equilibrium using Lyapunov methods.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous proof of global well-posedness, collision avoidance, and convergence in multi-agent formation control driven by Lennard-Jones potential.

Findings

Proves global well-posedness for collision-free initial data.

Establishes uniform lower bounds on inter-agent distances.

Shows convergence to a single equilibrium modulo translations.

Abstract

In this paper, a distributed multi-agent formation control driven by the gradient of the Lennard-Jones potential is analyzed. For collision-free initial data, we prove global well-posedness together with a uniform lower bound on all inter-agent distances, thereby excluding hard collisions. Taking the total energy as a Lyapunov function, LaSalle's invariance principle shows that every positive limit point is an equilibrium. Since trajectories remain uniformly away from collisions, the energy is analytic along the flow and an argument yields convergence to a single equilibrium modulo translations. Illustrative numerical examples are presented.