Snowflake-shaped networks are easiest to fix when disaster strikes. Vital networks like power grids and the internet need to be simple to repair to reduce down time. To determine the best structure for this, Robert Farr of the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences and colleagues simulated a variety of networks. They found the best were made from triangle or square-shaped loops, with one side of each loop missing. The loops link together and then back to a central hub, giving them a branching structure similar to a snowflake. If a link breaks, you just add in the missing side of a loop (Physical Review Letters, doi.org/v5s). The team will now see if the idea could work in real-world networks.
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