Optimal weighting scheme for suppressing cascades and traffic congestion in complex networks

Abstract

This paper is motivated by the following two related problems in complex networks: (i) control of cascading failures and (ii) mitigation of traffic congestion. Both problems are of significant recent interest as they address, respectively, the security of and efficient information transmission on complex networks. Taking into account typical features of load distribution and weights in real-world networks, we have discovered an optimal solution to both problems. In particular, we shall provide numerical evidence and theoretical analysis that, by choosing a proper weighting parameter, a maximum level of robustness against cascades and traffic congestion can be achieved, which practically rids the network of occurrences of the catastrophic dynamics.