# Controllability of networked MIMO systems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.01255 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.01255/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 6 May 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [A Learning Convolutional Neural Network Approach for Network Robustness Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.10552/) (2022)
- [SPP-CNN: An Efficient Framework for Network Robustness Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.07872/) (2023)
- [A Graph Transformer-Driven Approach for Network Robustness Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06913/) (2023)
- [High-order Knowledge Based Network Controllability Robustness Prediction: A Hypergraph Neural Network Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.02265/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we consider the state controllability of networked systems, where the network topology is directed and weighted and the nodes are higher-dimensional linear time-invariant (LTI) dynamical systems. We investigate how the network topology, the node-system dynamics, the external control inputs, and the inner interactions affect the controllability of a networked system, and show that for a general networked multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) system: 1) the controllability of the overall network is an integrated result of the aforementioned relevant factors, which cannot be decoupled into the controllability of individual node-systems and the properties solely determined by the network topology, quite different from the familiar notion of consensus or formation controllability; 2) if the network topology is uncontrollable by external inputs, then the networked system with identical nodes will be uncontrollable, even if it is structurally controllable; 3) with a controllable network topology, controllability and observability of the nodes together are necessary for the controllability of the networked systems under some mild conditions, but nevertheless they are not sufficient. For a networked system with single-input/single-output (SISO) LTI nodes, we present precise necessary and sufficient conditions for the controllability of a general network topology.