Correlated network of networks enhances robustness against catastrophic failures

TL;DR

This paper introduces a correlated network of networks model where hub-to-hub interconnections prevent catastrophic failures, offering a new way to enhance robustness in interconnected systems.

Contribution

It identifies a stable network structure with hub-based interconnections that mitigates collapse instability in networks of networks.

Findings

Collapse instability is eliminated with hub-centric interconnections.

Correlated NoN structures increase robustness against failures.

Manipulating connection patterns can enhance network stability.

Abstract

Networks in nature rarely function in isolation but instead interact with one another with a form of a network of networks (NoN). A network of networks with interdependency between distinct networks contains instability of abrupt collapse related to the global rule of activation. As a remedy of the collapse instability, here we investigate a model of correlated NoN. We find that the collapse instability can be removed when hubs provide the majority of interconnections and interconnections are convergent between hubs. Thus, our study identifies a stable structure of correlated NoN against catastrophic failures. Our result further suggests a plausible way to enhance network robustness by manipulating connection patterns, along with other methods such as controlling the state of node based on a local rule.