Emergence of bimodality in controllingcomplex networks

摘要

Our ability to control complex systems is a fundamental challenge of contemporary science.Recently introduced tools to identify the driver nodes, nodes through which we can achievefull control, predict the existence of multiple control configurations, prompting us to classifyeach node in a network based on their role in control. Accordingly a node is critical,intermittent or redundant if it acts as a driver node in all, some or none of the controlconfigurations. Here we develop an analytical framework to identify the category of eachnode, leading to the discovery of two distinct control modes in complex systems: centralizedversus distributed control. We predict the control mode for an arbitrary network and showthat one can alter it through small structural perturbations. The uncovered bimodality hasimplications from network security to organizational research and offers new insights into thedynamics and control of complex systems.