Signed-network-based consensus control for nonlinear multi-agent systems: a dynamic encryption–decryption approach.

This article addresses the problem of bipartite secure control for discrete-time nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) over signed networks (SNs) using a dynamic encryption–decryption approach (DEDA). It proposes a novel SN-based distributed consensus protocol that integrates encrypted neighbor states with actual local states to achieve bipartite leaderless consensus under structurally balanced signed graph topologies, while ensuring data privacy and security in communication channels. The paper establishes sufficient conditions for controller existence, provides a precise, time-varying definition of minimum channel capacity required for secure data transmission, and validates the approach through simulation examples demonstrating effective bipartite consensus and bounded communication requirements. This work extends existing encryption–decryption frameworks from linear MASs to nonlinear MASs in signed networks, offering insights into secure cooperative–competitive multi-agent coordination under communication constraints.