6,729 research outputs found

    Revealing Network Connectivity From Response Dynamics

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    We present a method to infer the complete connectivity of a network from its stable response dynamics. As a paradigmatic example, we consider networks of coupled phase oscillators and explicitly study their long-term stationary response to temporally constant driving. For a given driving condition, measuring the phase differences and the collective frequency reveals information about how the units are interconnected. Sufficiently many repetitions for different driving conditions yield the entire network connectivity (the absence or presence of each connection) from measuring the response dynamics only. For sparsely connected networks, we obtain good predictions of the actual connectivity even for formally underdetermined problems

    Braess's paradox in oscillator networks, desynchronization and power outage

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    Robust synchronization is essential to ensure the stable operation of many complex networked systems such as electric power grids. Increasing energy demands and more strongly distributing power sources raise the question of where to add new connection lines to the already existing grid. Here we study how the addition of individual links impacts the emergence of synchrony in oscillator networks that model power grids on coarse scales. We reveal that adding new links may not only promote but also destroy synchrony and link this counter-intuitive phenomenon to Braess's paradox known for traffic networks. We analytically uncover its underlying mechanism in an elementary grid example, trace its origin to geometric frustration in phase oscillators, and show that it generically occurs across a wide range of systems. As an important consequence, upgrading the grid requires particular care when adding new connections because some may destabilize the synchronization of the grid-and thus induce power outages

    Inferring network topology from complex dynamics

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    Inferring the network topology from dynamical observations is a fundamental problem pervading research on complex systems. Here, we present a simple, direct method for inferring the structural connection topology of a network, given an observation of one collective dynamical trajectory. The general theoretical framework is applicable to arbitrary network dynamical systems described by ordinary differential equations. No interference (external driving) is required and the type of dynamics is hardly restricted in any way. In particular, the observed dynamics may be arbitrarily complex; stationary, invariant or transient; synchronous or asynchronous and chaotic or periodic. Presupposing a knowledge of the functional form of the dynamical units and of the coupling functions between them, we present an analytical solution to the inverse problem of finding the network topology from observing a time series of state variables only. Robust reconstruction is achieved in any sufficiently long generic observation of the system. We extend our method to simultaneously reconstructing both the entire network topology and all parameters appearing linear in the system's equations of motion. Reconstruction of network topology and system parameters is viable even in the presence of external noise that distorts the original dynamics substantially. The method provides a conceptually new step towards reconstructing a variety of real-world networks, including gene and protein interaction networks and neuronal circuits

    Nonlocal failures in complex supply networks by single link additions

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    How do local topological changes affect the global operation and stability of complex supply networks? Studying supply networks on various levels of abstraction, we demonstrate that and how adding new links may not only promote but also degrade stable operation of a network. Intriguingly, the resulting overloads may emerge remotely from where such a link is added, thus resulting in nonlocal failures. We link this counter-intuitive phenomenon to Braess’ paradox originally discovered in traffic networks. We use elementary network topologies to explain its underlying mechanism for different types of supply networks and find that it generically occurs across these systems. As an important consequence, upgrading supply networks such as communication networks, biological supply networks or power grids requires particular care because even adding only single connections may destabilize normal network operation and induce disturbances remotely from the location of structural change and even global cascades of failures

    Kuramoto dynamics in Hamiltonian systems

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    The Kuramoto model constitutes a paradigmatic model for the dissipative collective dynamics of coupled oscillators, characterizing in particular the emergence of synchrony (phase locking). Here we present a classical Hamiltonian (and thus conservative) system with 2N state variables that in its action-angle representation exactly yields Kuramoto dynamics on N-dimensional invariant manifolds. We show that locking of the phase of one oscillator on a Kuramoto manifold to the average phase emerges where the transverse Hamiltonian action dynamics of that specific oscillator becomes unstable. Moreover, the inverse participation ratio of the Hamiltonian dynamics perturbed off the manifold indicates the global synchronization transition point for finite N more precisely than the standard Kuramoto order parameter. The uncovered Kuramoto dynamics in Hamiltonian systems thus distinctly links dissipative to conservative dynamics

    The simplest problem in the collective dynamics of neural networks: is synchrony stable?

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    For spiking neural networks we consider the stability problem of global synchrony, arguably the simplest non-trivial collective dynamics in such networks. We find that even this simplest dynamical problem—local stability of synchrony—is non-trivial to solve and requires novel methods for its solution. In particular, the discrete mode of pulsed communication together with the complicated connectivity of neural interaction networks requires a non-standard approach. The dynamics in the vicinity of the synchronous state is determined by a multitude of linear operators, in contrast to a single stability matrix in conventional linear stability theory. This unusual property qualitatively depends on network topology and may be neglected for globally coupled homogeneous networks. For generic networks, however, the number of operators increases exponentially with the size of the network.We present methods to treat this multi-operator problem exactly. First, based on the Gershgorin and Perron–Frobenius theorems, we derive bounds on the eigenvalues that provide important information about the synchronization process but are not sufficient to establish the asymptotic stability or instability of the synchronous state. We then present a complete analysis of asymptotic stability for topologically strongly connected networks using simple graph-theoretical considerations.For inhibitory interactions between dissipative (leaky) oscillatory neurons the synchronous state is stable, independent of the parameters and the network connectivity. These results indicate that pulse-like interactions play a profound role in network dynamical systems, and in particular in the dynamics of biological synchronization, unless the coupling is homogeneous and all-to-all. The concepts introduced here are expected to also facilitate the exact analysis of more complicated dynamical network states, for instance the irregular balanced activity in cortical neural networks

    From networks of unstable attractors to heteroclinic switching

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    We present a dynamical system that naturally exhibits two unstable attractors that are completely enclosed by each other's basin volume. This counterintuitive phenomenon occurs in networks of pulse-coupled oscillators with delayed interactions. We analytically show that upon continuously removing a local noninvertibility of the system, the two unstable attractors become a set of two nonattracting saddle states that are heteroclinically connected. This transition equally occurs from larger networks of unstable attractors to heteroclinic structures and constitutes a new type of singular bifurcation in dynamical systems.Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) [01GQ0430
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