Enhancing synchronization in growing networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Spectral-Based Growing (SBG) strategy to improve synchronization in evolving networks, demonstrating better performance than existing methods through analysis of artificial and real-world networks.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel growth strategy for networks that enhances synchronizability by considering spectral properties, with insights into optimal node degrees and topology homogeneity.

Findings

SBG strategy outperforms existing growth strategies in network synchronizability

Optimal node degree exists for maximizing synchronization

Networks grown with SBG have more homogeneous degree and betweenness centrality

Abstract

Most real systems are growing. In order to model the evolution of real systems, many growing network models have been proposed to reproduce some specific topology properties. As the structure strongly influences the network function, designing the function-aimed growing strategy is also a significant task with many potential applications. In this letter, we focus on synchronization in the growing networks. In order to enhance the synchronizability during the network evolution, we propose the Spectral-Based Growing (SBG) strategy. Based on the linear stability analysis of synchronization, we show that our growing mechanism yields better synchronizability than the existing topology-aimed growing strategies in both artificial and real-world networks. We also observe that there is an optimal degree of new added nodes, which means adding nodes with neither too large nor too low degree could enhance the synchronizability. Furthermore, some topology measurements are considered in the resultant networks. The results show that the degree, node betweenness centrality from SBG strategy are more homogenous than those from other growing strategies. Our work highlights the importance of the function-aimed growth of the networks and deepens our understanding of it.