Title:  Distributed Computation in Networked Systems

Committee:

Dr. Egerstedt , Advisor

Dr. Anthony Yezzi, ECE

Dr. Patricio Vela, ECE

Dr. Aaron Ames, ECE

Dr. Garett Stanley, BMED

Abstract: 

The objective of this thesis is to develop a theoretical understanding of computation in networked dynamical systems and demonstrate practical applications supported by the theory. We are interested in understanding how networks of locally interacting agents can be controlled to compute arbitrary functions of the initial node states. In other words, can a dynamical networked system be made to behave like a computer? In this thesis, we take steps towards answering this question with a particular model class for distributed, networked systems which can be made to compute linear transformations.