Prescribed-Time Leader–Follower Synchronization of Higher-Order Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems via Fuzzy Neural Adaptive Sliding Control

This paper introduces a novel control framework for prescribed-time synchronization of higher-order nonlinear multi-agent systems (MAS) subject to parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. The proposed method integrates a fuzzy neural network (FNN) with a robust non-singular terminal sliding mode controller (NTSMC) to ensure leader–follower consensus within a user-defined time horizon, regardless of the initial conditions. The FNN is employed to approximate unknown nonlinearities online, while an adaptive update law ensures accurate compensation for uncertainty. A terminal sliding manifold is designed to enforce finite-time convergence, and Lyapunov-based analysis rigorously proves prescribed-time stability and boundedness of all closed-loop signals. Simulation studies on a leader–follower MAS with four nonlinear agents under directed communication topology demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach over conventional sliding mode control, achieving faster convergence, enhanced robustness, and improved adaptability against system uncertainties and external perturbations.