Multiple predator based capture process on complex networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates a multi-predator capture process on complex networks, analyzing how multiple predators and network topology influence the prey's survival time using biased random walks.

Contribution

It introduces a model with multiple predators starting from various sources and derives the prey's lifetime distribution and expected lifetime, highlighting the effects of network structure.

Findings

Increasing predators reduces prey lifetime.

Locating predators on small-degree nodes prolongs prey survival.

Dense and homogeneous networks decrease prey lifetime.

Abstract

The predator/prey (capture) problem is a prototype of many network-related applications. We study the capture process on complex networks by considering multiple predators from multiple sources. In our model, some lions start from multiple sources simultaneously to capture the lamb by biased random walks, which are controlled with a free parameter $\alpha$. We derive the distribution of the lamb's lifetime and the expected lifetime $\left\langle T\right\rangle $. Through simulation, we find that the expected lifetime drops substantially with the increasing number of lions. We also study how the underlying topological structure affects the capture process, and obtain that locating on small-degree nodes is better than large-degree nodes to prolong the lifetime of the lamb. Moreover, dense or homogeneous network structures are against the survival of the lamb.