System size stochastic resonance in driven finite arrays of coupled bistable elements

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the collective response of finite arrays of coupled bistable elements to weak periodic forces exhibits a nonmonotonic dependence on system size, revealing a phenomenon called system size stochastic resonance.

Contribution

It analyzes the conditions under which system size stochastic resonance occurs in finite arrays of coupled bistable systems, highlighting its restricted parameter space.

Findings

System size stochastic resonance occurs in specific parameter regions.

The collective response shows a nonmonotonic dependence on array size.

This phenomenon differs from traditional stochastic resonance related to noise strength.

Abstract

The global response to weak time periodic forces of an array of noisy, coupled nonlinear systems might show a nonmonotonic dependence on the number of units in the array. This effect has been termed system size stochastic resonance. In this paper, we analyze the nonmonotonic dependence on the system size of the signal-to-noise ratio of a collective variable characterizing a finite array of one-dimensional globally coupled bistable elements. By contrast with the conventional nonmonotonic dependence with the strength of the noise (stochastic resonance), system size stochastic resonance is found to be restricted to some regions in parameter space.