Spatio-temporal propagation of cascading failures in complex networks*

When the functionality of a node in a complex network requires the simultaneous functioning of a node in another network, even a single failed node can lead to a cascade of failures throughout the system[1,2,3]. In spatial networks, this cascade has distinctive spatio-temporal properties, including a new kind of nucleation transition and a new metastable phase[4,5]. In this talk we will review recent advances on interdependent spatial network cascades including spatially localized attacks [6,7] and the impact of tunable embedding strength [8]. We will also compare these results with the spatio-temporal patterns of overload cascades [9]. The ubiquity of spatial networks and the distinctiveness of the cascading patterns on them, make it essential that we fully understand the fundamental cascade mechanisms underlying the observed behavior.


[1] Buldyrev et al. Nature 464, 08932 (2010)
[2] Danziger et al., Chapter 5 in Interconnected Networks (ed. A. Garas), Springer (2016)
[3] Danziger et al., arXiv:1705.00241
[4] Li et al. PRL 108, 228702 (2012)
[5] Bashan et al Nature Physics 9, 667 (2013)
[6] Berezin et al. Scientific Reports 5, 8934 (2015)
[7] Vaknin et al. New Journal of Physics 19, 073037 (2017)
[8] Danziger et al. EPL 115, 36002 (2016)
[9] Zhao et al. Nature Communications 7, 10094 (2016)