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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 100 » Issue 21
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 218701 (2008) [4 pages]

Transient Dynamics Increasing Network Vulnerability to Cascading Failures

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Ingve Simonsen2,3,*, Lubos Buzna1,4, Karsten Peters2, Stefan Bornholdt5, and Dirk Helbing1,2
1ETH Zurich, UNO D11, Universitätstrasse 41, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
2Dresden University of Technology, Andreas-Schubert-Straße 23, D-01086 Dresden, Germany
3Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
4University of Zilina, Univerzitna 8215/5, SK-01026 Zilina, Slovakia
5Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Bremen, Otto Hahn Allee 1, D-28334 Bremen, Germany

Received 16 April 2007; published 28 May 2008

We study cascading failures in networks using a dynamical flow model based on simple conservation and distribution laws. It is found that considering the flow dynamics may imply reduced network robustness compared to previous static overload failure models. This is due to the transient oscillations or overshooting in the loads, when the flow dynamics adjusts to the new (remaining) network structure. The robustness of networks showing cascading failures is generally given by a complex interplay between the network topology and flow dynamics.

© 2008 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.218701
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.218701
PACS:
89.75.Hc, 89.20.−a, 89.65.−s

*Ingve.Simonsen@phys.ntnu.no

 
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