Random heterogeneity outperforms design in network synchronization
Random heterogeneity outperforms design in network synchronization
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.2024299118
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发表时间：
2021-05
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Yuanzhao Zhang;J. L. Ocampo-Espindola;I. Kiss;A. Motter
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Yuanzhao Zhang;J. L. Ocampo-Espindola;I. Kiss;A. Motter
相互作用的实体之间的同步是许多系统（包括生物钟和激光阵列）功能的基础。一般认为，实体之间的同质性有利于同步。这项工作从理论上、数值上和实验上表明，在具有相互作用延迟的系统中，相反的情况不仅是可能的，而且是常见的。在这样的系统中，实体之间的异质性被证明可以促进同步，即使这种异质性是完全随机的。这一发现促进了我们对复杂系统集体行为中有序与无序之间相互作用的理解。我们认为这种现象可以在不同的耦合方案中观察到，并且对现实世界的系统有影响，其中异质性和延迟是常见的，而且通常是不可避免的。关于网络动力学的一个普遍假设是，相似的组件比不同的组件更有可能表现出相似的行为，并且它们之间的一般差异必然不利于同步。在这里，我们表明，当存在通信延迟时，这种假设通常不适用于振荡器网络。我们特别证明了振荡之间的随机参数异质性可以持续地拯救系统免于失去同步。这一发现得到了在多电极阵列网络上进行的电化学振荡器实验的支持。值得注意的是，在中等异质性水平上，随机错配在促进同步方面比专门为促进相同同步而设计的参数赋值更有效。我们的研究结果表明，技术和生物系统中的内在紊乱不是被消除或忽视，而是可以被利用来帮助维持功能所需的一致性。
Significance Synchronization among interacting entities is a process that underlies the function of numerous systems, including circadian clocks and laser arrays. It is generally believed that homogeneity among the entities is beneficial for synchronization. This work shows theoretically, numerically, and experimentally that the opposite is not only possible but also common in systems with interaction delays. In such systems, heterogeneity among the entities is shown to promote synchronization, even when the heterogeneity is completely random. This finding advances our understanding of the interplay between order and disorder in the collective behavior of complex systems. We suggest that the phenomenon can be observed for diverse coupling schemes and has implications for real-world systems, where heterogeneity and delays are common and often unavoidable. A widely held assumption on network dynamics is that similar components are more likely to exhibit similar behavior than dissimilar ones and that generic differences among them are necessarily detrimental to synchronization. Here, we show that this assumption does not generally hold in oscillator networks when communication delays are present. We demonstrate, in particular, that random parameter heterogeneity among oscillators can consistently rescue the system from losing synchrony. This finding is supported by electrochemical-oscillator experiments performed on a multielectrode array network. Remarkably, at intermediate levels of heterogeneity, random mismatches are more effective in promoting synchronization than parameter assignments specifically designed to facilitate identical synchronization. Our results suggest that, rather than being eliminated or ignored, intrinsic disorder in technological and biological systems can be harnessed to help maintain coherence required for function.