Master stability functions for coupled nearly identical dynamical systems

We derive a master stability function (MSF) for synchronization in networks of coupled dynamical systems with small but arbitrary parametric variations. Analogous to the MSF for identical systems, our generalized MSF simultaneously solves the linear-stability problem for near-synchronous states (NSS) for all possible connectivity structures. We also derive a general sufficient condition for stable near-synchronization and show that the synchronization error scales linearly with the magnitude of parameter variations. Our analysis underlines the significant role played by the Laplacian eigenvectors in the study of network synchronization of near-identical systems. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2009