Finite-Time Consensus Using Stochastic Matrices With Positive Diagonals

We discuss the possibility of reaching consensus in finite time using only linear iterations, with the additional restrictions that the update matrices must be stochastic with positive diagonals and consistent with a given graph structure. We show that finite-time average consensus can always be achieved for connected undirected graphs. For directed graphs, we show some necessary conditions for finite-time consensus, including strong connectivity and the presence of a simple cycle of even length.