Anomalous Contagion and Renormalization in Dynamical Networks with Nodal Mobility

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nodal mobility in dynamic networks influences contagion processes, revealing nonlinear effects and a renormalization approach that explains outbreak profiles similar to real-world social and online contagions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel understanding of how nodal mobility affects contagion dynamics and proposes a renormalization method for certain dynamical networks.

Findings

Nodal mobility can significantly distort outbreak profiles.

Increasing mobility can either amplify or suppress contagion severity.

Profiles predicted match real-world social unrest and online contagion outbreaks.

Abstract

The common real-world feature of individuals migrating through a network -- either in real space or online -- significantly complicates understanding of network processes. Here we show that even though a network may appear static on average, underlying nodal mobility can dramatically distort outbreak profiles. Highly nonlinear dynamical regimes emerge in which increasing mobility either amplifies or suppresses outbreak severity. Predicted profiles mimic recent outbreaks of real-space contagion (social unrest) and online contagion (pro-ISIS support). We show that this nodal mobility can be renormalized in a precise way for a particular class of dynamical networks.