Cascading Dynamics in Modular Networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how cascading processes spread in modular networks with two communities, revealing a two-tiered activity pattern influenced by network structure, with implications for epidemiology and marketing.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical and simulation-based study of cascading dynamics in modular networks, highlighting the impact of community structure on spreading behavior.

Findings

Cascading activity exhibits a two-tiered structure in modular networks.

Analytical and simulation results are in good agreement.

Network modularity influences the rate and pattern of activity spreading.

Abstract

In this paper we study a simple cascading process in a structured heterogeneous population, namely, a network composed of two loosely coupled communities. We demonstrate that under certain conditions the cascading dynamics in such a network has a two--tiered structure that characterizes activity spreading at different rates in the communities. We study the dynamics of the model using both simulations and an analytical approach based on annealed approximation, and obtain good agreement between the two. Our results suggest that network modularity might have implications in various applications, such as epidemiology and viral marketing.