Abstract
The authors proposed an arbitrary order finite-time sliding mode control (SMC) design for a networked of uncertain higher-order nonlinear systems. A network of n + 1 nodes, connected via a directed graph (with fixed topology), is considered. The nodes are considered to be uncertain in nature. A consensus error-based canonical form of the error dynamics is developed and a new arbitrary order distributed control protocol design strategy is proposed, which not only ensures the sliding mode enforcement in finite time but also confirms the finite time error dynamics stability. Rigorous stability analysis, in closed-loop, is presented, and a simulation example is given, which demonstrates the results developed in this work.