Week 1: Sep 24, Lecture #1
Introduction to Distributed Algorithms and Robotic Networks

• introductory slides: (pdf)

• textbook “Distributed Control of Robotic Networks”, abbreviated DCRN, freely available at: (html)

Week 2: Oct 6 and 8, Lectures #2 and #3
Matrix Theory and Perron-Frobenius Theory

• topics: sets of matrices, spectral theory, semi-convergence, Perron-Frobenius theory

• reading: “Elementary concepts and notations” of DCRN, Section 1.1 (skip 1.1.3)

• reading: “Matrix theory” of DCRN, Section 1.2

• homework #1 exercises on matrices: 1.2-1.5 (optional 1.1, 1.6 and 1.7). Due October 20.

Week 3: Oct 13, 15 and Oct 16 (makeup), Lectures #4, #5 and #6,
Graph Theory and Algebraic Graph Theory

• reading: “Graph theory” of DCRN, Section 1.4 (introduction and subsections 1.4.1, 1.4.2, 1.4.3)

• reading: “Algebraic graph theory” of DCRN, SubSection 1.4.5

• optional reading: “Graph algorithms and combinatorial optimization” SubSection 1.4.4

• makeup time/place: Friday October 16 1:30pm-2:50pm / Room 2319 in Eng Bldg II (also called ME Conf. Room)

• homework #2 exercises on graphs: 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.20 (optional 1.14, 1.16, 1.19). Due October 27.

Week 4: Oct 20, 22 and Oct 23 (makeup), Lectures #7, #8 and #9
Distributed Algorithms

• reading: “Distributed algorithms on synchronous networks” of DCRN, Section 1.5

• homework #3 exercises on distributed algorithms: 1.22. Sketch the proofs for Lemmas 1.53, 1.56, 1.57, and 1.58. Due October 29.

• makeup time/place: Friday October 23, 4:35pm-5:45pm / Room 2319 in Eng Bldg II (also called ME Conf. Room)

Week 5: Oct 27, 29 and Oct 30 (makeup), Lectures #10, #11 and #12
Linear Distributed Algorithms

• reading: “Linear distributed algorithms” of DCRN, Section 1.6

• reading: “Dynamical systems and stability theory” of DCRN, Section 1.3, Subsections 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3

• reading: “Bibliographical notes on Chp 1” of DCRN, Section 1.7

Week 6: Nov 5, Lecture #13,
Continuous-time Consensus

• homework #4 exercises on linear distributed algorithms, consensus and applications: 1.18, 1.23, 1.25. 1.26, 1.28 (optional 1.15, 1.17). Due Tuesday November 17