Although the literature presents promising techniques for the control of integer-order systems, control and synchronizing fractional systems still need further improvement to ensure their robustness and convergence time. This study aims to address this issue by proposing a model-free and finite-time super-twisting control technique for a variable-order fractional Hopfield-like neural network. The proposed controller is enhanced with an intelligent observer to account for disturbances and uncertainties in the chaotic model of the Hopfield-like neural network. The controller is able to regulate the system even when its complex variable-order fractional dynamic is completely unknown. Moreover, the proposed technique guarantees finite-time convergence of the closed-loop system. First, the dynamics of the variable-order fractional Hopfield-like neural network are examined. Then, the control design is described and its finite-time stability is proven. The controller is then applied to the variable-order fractional system and tested under two different scenarios to evaluate its performance. The results of the simulations demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed method in both scenarios.
Read full abstract