Symmetry-Based Formation Control on Cycle Graphs Using Dihedral Point Groups

Abstract: This work develops a symmetry-based framework for formation control on cycle graphs using Dihedral point-group constraints. We show that enforcing inter-agent reflection symmetries, together with anchoring a single designated agent to its prescribed mirror axis, is sufficient to realize every $\mathcal{C}_{nv}$-symmetric configuration using only $n-1$ communication links. The resulting control laws have a matrix-weighted Laplacian structure and guarantee exponential convergence to the desired symmetric configuration. Furthermore, we extend the method to enable coordinated maneuvers along a time-varying reference trajectory. Simulation results are provided to support the theoretical analysis.