Self-similarity, small-world, scale-free scaling, disassortativity, and robustness in hierarchical lattices

TL;DR

This paper analytically explores the topological features of hierarchical lattices, revealing that scale-free networks are not always small-world or assortative, and introduces small-world hierarchical lattices to study their robustness and synchronization.

Contribution

It provides a novel analytical framework for hierarchical lattices, introduces small-world hierarchical lattices, and compares their properties with other complex networks.

Findings

Scale-free networks are not necessarily small-world.

Self-similar scale-free networks tend to be disassortative.

Networks with smaller average path length are not always easier to synchronize.

Abstract

In this paper, firstly, we study analytically the topological features of a family of hierarchical lattices (HLs) from the view point of complex networks. We derive some basic properties of HLs controlled by a parameter $q$. Our results show that scale-free networks are not always small-world, and support the conjecture that self-similar scale-free networks are not assortative. Secondly, we define a deterministic family of graphs called small-world hierarchical lattices (SWHLs). Our construction preserves the structure of hierarchical lattices, while the small-world phenomenon arises. Finally, the dynamical processes of intentional attacks and collective synchronization are studied and the comparisons between HLs and Barab{\'asi}-Albert (BA) networks as well as SWHLs are shown. We show that degree distribution of scale-free networks does not suffice to characterize their synchronizability, and that networks with smaller average path length are not always easier to synchronize.