Spreading processes in Multilayer Networks

TL;DR

This paper reviews models, results, and applications of spreading processes in multilayer networks, highlighting the complexity and emerging research challenges in understanding how information and pathogens spread across interconnected systems.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of multilayer spreading models, results, and applications, and discusses future research directions in this evolving field.

Findings

Multilayer networks introduce complex dynamics in spreading processes.

Existing models help understand diffusion in interconnected systems.

Identifies key challenges and promising research avenues.

Abstract

Several systems can be modeled as sets of interconnected networks or networks with multiple types of connections, here generally called multilayer networks. Spreading processes such as information propagation among users of an online social networks, or the diffusion of pathogens among individuals through their contact network, are fundamental phenomena occurring in these networks. However, while information diffusion in single networks has received considerable attention from various disciplines for over a decade, spreading processes in multilayer networks is still a young research area presenting many challenging research issues. In this paper we review the main models, results and applications of multilayer spreading processes and discuss some promising research directions.