Epidemics and chaotic synchronization in recombining monogamous populations

TL;DR

This paper investigates how random partner exchanges in monogamous populations can induce epidemic outbreaks and synchronization in systems that would otherwise remain disconnected, revealing a new bifurcation phenomenon.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model of recombining monogamous networks and analyzes the critical transitions to endemic and synchronized states both analytically and numerically.

Findings

Recombination rate controls the transition to endemic and synchronized states.

Critical bifurcation occurs as recombination rate increases.

Recombination enables propagation and synchronization in otherwise disconnected populations.

Abstract

We analyze the critical transitions (a) to endemic states in an SIS epidemiological model, and (b) to full synchronization in an ensemble of coupled chaotic maps, on networks where, at any given time, each node is connected to just one neighbour. In these "monogamous" populations, the lack of connectivity in the instantaneous interaction pattern -that would prevent both the propagation of an infection and the collective entrainment into synchronization- is compensated by occasional random reconnections which recombine interacting couples by exchanging their partners. The transitions to endemic states and to synchronization are recovered if the recombination rate is sufficiently large, thus giving rise to a bifurcation as this rate varies. We study this new critical phenomenon both analytically and numerically.