Output Tracking via Time-Varying Output Feedback in Boolean Control Networks

This letter investigates output tracking in Boolean control networks (BCNs) using a novel time-varying output feedback (TVOF) controller—the Trust-First Controller. It presents a distinct approach for achieving output tracking, deviating from the conventional reliance on the combination of detectability and set stabilizability. The controller’s novelty stems from its unique mechanism: selected estimated state trajectories are retained until a discrepancy is detected between estimated and actual output values, at which point they are discarded. A key theoretical result demonstrates that the global solvability of the output tracking problem via state feedback implies its solvability under the proposed TVOF controller. Moreover, compared to detectability-based approaches, the trust-first controller offers significant advantages in tracking performance, achieving reduced tracking times. To enhance practical utility, an output-based solvability criterion is developed, enabling feasibility assessment based exclusively on output data. Comprehensive validation of the approach is provided via an illustrative example featuring the lactose operon biological network.