  In this paper, we study an optimal output consensus problem for a multi-agent
network with agents in the form of multi-input multi-output minimum-phase
dynamics. Optimal output consensus can be taken as an extended version of the
existing output consensus problem for higher-order agents with an optimization
requirement, where the output variables of agents are driven to achieve a
consensus on the optimal solution of a global cost function. To solve this
problem, we first construct an optimal signal generator, and then propose an
embedded control scheme by embedding the generator in the feedback loop. We
give two kinds of algorithms based on different available information along
with both state feedback and output feedback, and prove that these algorithms
with the embedded technique can guarantee the solvability of the problem for
high-order multi-agent systems under standard assumptions.
