Encounter times of random walkers with simultaneous resetting on networks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how simultaneous resetting of multiple random walkers on networks affects their encounter times, deriving exact formulas and conditions for optimal resetting strategies.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical expressions for mean encounter times under simultaneous resetting and establishes criteria for when resetting improves search efficiency.

Findings

Simultaneous resetting can reduce encounter times in certain network conditions.

Optimal resetting probabilities depend on network structure and initial conditions.

Simultaneous resetting outperforms independent resetting in homogeneous networks.

Abstract

In this work, we study the dynamics of multiple random walkers on networks subject to a simultaneous resetting protocol, whereby all walkers are synchronously returned to their respective initial nodes. For this collective Markovian process, we derive exact analytical expressions for the mean first-encounter time, defined as the average time required for all walkers to meet for the first time at a given node. These results are formulated in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the transition matrices governing the dynamics without resetting, providing a clear spectral interpretation of the impact of resetting on encounter processes. We further establish a general criterion for finite networks that determines when the introduction of a nonzero resetting probability reduces the mean first-encounter time and leads to an optimal resetting strategy. The theoretical predictions are illustrated through numerical results on regular and heterogeneous networks, for encounters involving two or more walkers, and for combinations of local and nonlocal dynamics. Our findings demonstrate that simultaneous resetting can significantly reduce encounter times for specific target nodes and initial conditions, while becoming ineffective for highly exploratory dynamics or distant targets. A comparison with independent resetting shows that simultaneous resetting is more efficient in homogeneous networks, whereas independent resetting can outperform it in heterogeneous structures, thereby revealing a trade-off between synchronization and exploration. The framework provides a unified approach to collective search and encounter problems on networks with resetting.