Finite-time synchronization of quaternion-valued neural networks with delays: A switching control method without decomposition

For a class of quaternion-valued neural networks (QVNNs) with discrete and distributed time delays, its finite-time synchronization (FTSYN) is addressed in this paper. Instead of decomposition, a direct analytical method named two-step analysis is proposed. That method can always be used to study FTSYN, under either 1-norm or 2-norm of quaternion. Compared with the decomposing method, the two-step method is also suitable for models that are not easily decomposed. Furthermore, a switching controller based on the two-step method is proposed. In addition, two criteria are given to realize the FTSYN of QVNNs. At last, three numerical examples illustrate the feasibility, effectiveness and practicability of our method.