Opinion Consensus of Modified Hegselmann-Krause Models

We consider the opinion consensus problem using a multi-agent setting based on the Hegselmann-Krause (H-K) Model. Firstly, we give a sufficient condition on the initial opinion distribution so that the system will converge to only one cluster. Then, modified models are proposed to guarantee convergence for more general initial conditions. The overall connectivity is maintained with these models, while the loss of certain edges can occur. Furthermore, a smooth control protocol is provided to avoid the difficulties that may arise due to the discontinuous right-hand side in the H-K model. Key words: opinion dynamics, multi-agent systems