No Arabic abstract
Interconnected networks are mathematical representation of systems where two or more simple networks are coupled to each other. Depending on the coupling weight between the two components, the interconnected network can function in two regimes: one where the two networks are structurally distinguishable, and one where they are not. The coupling threshold--denoting this structural transition--is one of the most crucial concepts in interconnected networks. Yet, current information about the coupling threshold is limited. This letter presents an analytical expression for the exact value of the coupling threshold and outlines network interrelation implications.
In epidemic modeling, the term infection strength indicates the ratio of infection rate and cure rate. If the infection strength is higher than a certain threshold -- which we define as the epidemic threshold - then the epidemic spreads through the population and persists in the long run. For a single generic graph representing the contact network of the population under consideration, the epidemic threshold turns out to be equal to the inverse of the spectral radius of the contact graph. However, in a real world scenario it is not possible to isolate a population completely: there is always some interconnection with another network, which partially overlaps with the contact network. Results for epidemic threshold in interconnected networks are limited to homogeneous mixing populations and degree distribution arguments. In this paper, we adopt a spectral approach. We show how the epidemic threshold in a given network changes as a result of being coupled with another network with fixed infection strength. In our model, the contact network and the interconnections are generic. Using bifurcation theory and algebraic graph theory, we rigorously derive the epidemic threshold in interconnected networks. These results have implications for the broad field of epidemic modeling and control. Our analytical results are supported by numerical simulations.
In this paper, we consider the problem of exploring structural regularities of networks by dividing the nodes of a network into groups such that the members of each group have similar patterns of connections to other groups. Specifically, we propose a general statistical model to describe network structure. In this model, group is viewed as hidden or unobserved quantity and it is learned by fitting the observed network data using the expectation-maximization algorithm. Compared with existing models, the most prominent strength of our model is the high flexibility. This strength enables it to possess the advantages of existing models and overcomes their shortcomings in a unified way. As a result, not only broad types of structure can be detected without prior knowledge of what type of intrinsic regularities exist in the network, but also the type of identified structure can be directly learned from data. Moreover, by differentiating outgoing edges from incoming edges, our model can detect several types of structural regularities beyond competing models. Tests on a number of real world and artificial networks demonstrate that our model outperforms the state-of-the-art model at shedding light on the structural features of networks, including the overlapping community structure, multipartite structure and several other types of structure which are beyond the capability of existing models.
The lack of studying the complex organization of directed network usually limits to the understanding of underlying relationship between network structures and functions. Structural controllability and structural predictability, two seemingly unrelated subjects, are revealed in this paper to be both highly dependent on the critical links previously thought to only be able to influence the number of driver nodes in controllable directed networks. Here, we show that critical links can not only contribute to structural controllability, but they can also have a significant impact on the structural predictability of networks, suggesting the universal pattern of structural reciprocity in directed networks. In addition, it is shown that the fraction and location of critical links have a strong influence on the performance of prediction algorithms. Moreover, these empirical results are interpreted by introducing the link centrality based on corresponding line graphs. This work bridges the gap between the two independent research fields, and it provides indications of developing advanced control strategies and prediction algorithms from a microscopic perspective.
Many natural, engineered, and social systems can be represented using the framework of a layered network, where each layer captures a different type of interaction between the same set of nodes. The study of such multiplex networks is a vibrant area of research. Yet, understanding how to quantify the correlations present between pairs of layers, and more so present in their co-evolution, is lacking. Such methods would enable us to address fundamental questions involving issues such as function, redundancy and potential disruptions. Here we show first how the edge-set of a multiplex network can be used to construct an estimator of a joint probability distribution describing edge existence over all layers. We then adapt an information-theoretic measure of general correlation called the conditional mutual information, which uses the estimated joint probability distribution, to quantify the pairwise correlations present between layers. The pairwise comparisons can also be temporal, allowing us to identify if knowledge of a certain layer can provide additional information about the evolution of another layer. We analyze datasets from three distinct domains---economic, political, and airline networks---to demonstrate how pairwise correlation in structure and dynamical evolution between layers can be identified and show that anomalies can serve as potential indicators of major events such as shocks.
Algebraic connectivity, the second eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix, is a measure of node and link connectivity on networks. When studying interconnected networks it is useful to consider a multiplex model, where the component networks operate together with inter-layer links among them. In order to have a well-connected multilayer structure, it is necessary to optimally design these inter-layer links considering realistic constraints. In this work, we solve the problem of finding an optimal weight distribution for one-to-one inter-layer links under budget constraint. We show that for the special multiplex configurations with identical layers, the uniform weight distribution is always optimal. On the other hand, when the two layers are arbitrary, increasing the budget reveals the existence of two different regimes. Up to a certain threshold budget, the second eigenvalue of the supra-Laplacian is simple, the optimal weight distribution is uniform, and the Fiedler vector is constant on each layer. Increasing the budget past the threshold, the optimal weight distribution can be non-uniform. The interesting consequence of this result is that there is no need to solve the optimization problem when the available budget is less than the threshold, which can be easily found analytically.