Communications of the ACM
Scientists Review Worldwide Rise of 'network of Networks'
A paper from scientists in China, the U.S., and Israel explains how relatively small changes in interconnected networks can cause systemic disruptions within and between them.
Credit: Science China Press
A new paper from scientists based in China, the U.S., and Israel examines how the world has come to be dominated by interconnected networks, and how relatively small changes can cause systemic disruptions within and between them.
The scientists from Northeastern University, Beihang University, and Bar-Ilan University say critical infrastructure systems such as those used in transportation, energy, and telecommunications increasingly resemble the highly complex, interconnectedness of human social networks, as well as biological systems.
The researchers particularly focused on percolation theory, a method for studying the robustness of a network and predicting its "percolation threshold," the "fraction of removable nodes (or links) that leads to the collapse of the network." The researchers say percolation theory can be used to craft more robust networks or to identify an "optimal path" through the network. This approach would be especially useful in designing and improving critical infrastructure, with the researchers noting real-world examples of how localized disruptions to infrastructure caused system-wide disruptions, such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the recent typhoon that devastated the Philippines.
The researchers note the framework of an interdependent network of networks can "provide insights leading to further analysis of real data on interdependent networks."
From Phys.Org
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