A scalable approach to the design of large networks

Many networks have simple underlying structures, for example the current flows in an electrical network obey Kirchoff's current law, a simple conservation law at every point of interconnection. We exploit this local structure to devise local design rules termed protocols, which if satisfied everywhere in a network guarantee robust stability of the network as a whole. The key strength of such an approach is that it scales; the network is free to shrink and grow provided all areas of the network continue to follow the network protocol. We illustrate our techniques by describing a protocol suitable for detailed electrical power system models, offering a new look at the design of current and future power system devices.