人物經歷
1975年生於甘肅省臨夏市；1991年以甘肅省前十名，臨夏地區第一名考入清華大學自動化系就讀；1996年保送入中國科學院讀研；1999年碩士畢業後曾於多家公司從事軟體開發數年；後考入清華大學自動化系，師從鍾宜生教授攻讀控制科學與工程博士學位；2010年畢業並獲工學博士學位，隨即在天津工業大學任教；2011年調入西北民族大學。
現為西北民大電氣工程學院副教授，計算機系統結構專業碩士生導師，中國自動化學會高級會員，中國自動化學會混合智慧型專業委員會委員， 入選國家民委中青年英才培養計畫。
研究方向
目前主要研究興趣為：非線性動力學系統分析與控制，代數圖論，動態巨觀經濟系統分析
主要業餘愛好是中國中古以後的文學理論研究，包括詞論和敘事美學。
主要貢獻
主持和參加的項目
* 2004~2006，“多工作點不確定非線性系統魯棒控制研究”，國家自然科學基金項目(60374035) (參與)
* 2007~2009，“多工作點多變數非線性系統魯棒控制研究”，國家自然科學基金項目(60674017) (參與)
* 2008~2010，“小型無人直升機自主導航與控制研究”，國家自然科學基金重點基金項目(60736024) (參與)
* 2011~2015，“物聯網基礎理論/平台研究”，國家973子課題，(2011CB302805) (參與)
* 2012~2015，“高階奇異群系統一致性性研究/輸出一致性”，國家自然科學基金項目子課題，(61174067) (主持)
* 2011~2013，“多主體系統群穩定性與群能控性研究”，天津工業大學優秀人才基金(主持)
* 2012~2015，“多智慧型體系統理論及其在動態經濟學中的套用探索”，西北民族大學引進人才基金(主持)
* 2012~2013，“具有高階動態協定的分隔網路系統運動定性分析”，中央高校基本科研業務費專項基金(主持)
* 2012~2016, “動態群系統的群能控性與群穩定性研究”，國家自然科學基金(61263002) (主持)
發表的代表性論文
(2017.10更新)：
* N. Cai, Y. Zhong, “Formation controllability of high order linear time-invariant swarm systems”, IET Control Theory Appl., 2010, 4(4), pp. 646-654. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Xi, Y. Zhong, “Swarm stability of high order linear time-invariant swarm systems”, IET Control Theory Appl., 2011, 5(2), pp. 402-408. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Xi, Y. Zhong, H. Ma, “Controllability improvement for linear time-invariant dynamical multi-agent systems”, Int. J. Innov. Comput. I., 2012, 8(5A), pp. 3315-3328. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Cao, H. Ma, C. Wang, "Swarm stability analysis of nonlinear dynamical multi-agent systems via relative Lyapunov function", Arab. J. Sci. Eng., 2014, 39(3), pp. 2427-2434. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Cao, M. Liu, H. Ma, “On controllability problems of high-order dynamical multi-agent systems”, Arab. J. Sci. Eng., 2014, 39(5), pp. 4261-4267. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Cao, M.J. Khan, “A controllability synthesis problem for dynamic multi-agent systems with linear high-order protocol”, Int. J. Control Automat. Syst., 2014, 12(6), pp. 1366-1371. (SCI)
* N. Cai, M.J. Khan, “On swarm stability of linear time-invariant descriptor compartmental networks”, IET Control Theory Appl., 2015, 9(5), pp. 793-800. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Cao, M.J. Khan, "Almost decouplability of any directed weighted network topology", Physica A, 2015, 436, pp. 637-645. (SCI)
* N. Cai, H. Ma, M.J. Khan, "Agent-based model for rural-urban migration: A dynamic consideration", Physica A, 2015, 436, pp. 806-813. (SCI)
* N. Cai, M.J. Khan, "On generalized controllability canonical form with multiple input variables", Int. J. Control Automat. Syst., 2017, 15(1), pp. 169-177. (SCI)
* N. Cai, "On quantitatively measuring controllability of complex networks", Physica A, 2017, 474, pp. 282-292. (SCI)
* N. Cai, C. Diao, M.J. Khan,"A novel clustering method based on quasi-consensus motions of dynamical multi-agent systems", Complexity, 2017, 4978613. (SCI)
* N. Cai, M. He, Q. Wu, M.J. Khan,"On almost controllability of dynamical complex networks with noises", J. Syst. Sci. Complexity, 2017, in press. (SCI)
* N. Cai, J. Xi, Y. Zhong, “Asymptotic swarm stability of high order dynamical multi-agent systems: Condition and application”, Control Intelli. Syst., 2012, 40(1), pp. 33-39. (EI)
* N. Cai, R. Sabatini, X. Dong, M.J. Khan, Y. Yu, "Decentralized modeling, analysis, control, and application of distributed dynamic systems", J. Control Sci. Eng., 2016, 8985017. (EI)
* H. Hu, N. Cai*, L. Cui, Y. Ren, W. Yu, “A neural-network based sliding mode controller of folding-boom aerial work platform”, Adv. Mech. Eng., 2017, in press. (SCI)
* J. Xi, N. Cai, Y. Zhong, “Consensus problems for high-order linear time-invariant swarm systems”, Physica A, 2010, 389(24), pp. 5619-5627. (SCI)
* J. Xi, H. Li, N. Cai, Y. Zhong, “Consensus of swarm systems with time delays and topology uncertainties”, IET Control Theory Appl., 2013, 7(8), pp. 1168-1178. (SCI)
* M. Asif, M.J. Khan, N. Cai, “Adaptive sliding mode dynamic controller with integrator in the loop for nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot trajectory tracking”, Int. J. Control, 2014, 87(5), pp. 964-975. (SCI)
* Y. Liu, K. Xie, T. Zhang, N. Cai*, "Trajectory planning with pose feedback for a dual-arm space robot", J. Control Sci. Eng., 2016,7021696. (EI)
