Local suppression by link rewiring reveals discontinuous percolation transitions.

Area of Science:

• Complex systems
• Network science
• Statistical physics

Background:

• Percolation theory describes how connected clusters form in random networks.
• Global suppression of cluster formation can lead to discontinuous macroscopic emergence.
• Understanding local suppression mechanisms is crucial for predicting emergent phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel mechanism for discontinuous macroscopic cluster emergence.
• To explore the effects of local link rewiring on cluster formation in networks.
• To understand the cooperative suppression leading to discontinuous percolation transitions.

Main Methods:

• Simulations of network dynamics with local link rewiring rules.
• Analysis of cluster size distribution and percolation transitions.
• Modeling node interactions and competition for link occupation.

Main Results:

• Macroscopic clusters emerge discontinuously when nodes locally suppress large cluster formation.
• Cooperative suppression of cluster growth by individual nodes paradoxically facilitates rapid outbreak.
• Discontinuous percolation transitions are observed under these local suppression conditions.

Conclusions:

• Local suppression strategies can paradoxically lead to sudden, large-scale emergent phenomena.
• The findings have implications for managing epidemics, forest fires, and other complex systems.
• Cooperative local actions can result in unexpected global consequences.