arXiv subjects

Mattia Frasca

Publications and source records attributed to Mattia Frasca.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Control technique for synchronization of selected nodes in directed networks

In this Letter we propose a method to control a set of arbitrary nodes in a directed network such that they follow a synchronous trajectory which is, in general, not shared by the other units of the network. The problem is inspired to those natural or artificial networks whose proper operating conditions are associated to the presence of clusters of synchronous nodes. Our proposed method is based on the introduction of distributed controllers that modify the topology of the connections in order to generate outer symmetries in the nodes to be controlled. An optimization problem for the selection of the controllers, which includes as a special case the minimization of the number of the links added or removed, is also formulated and an algorithm for its solution is introduced.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2021

Lack of practical identifiability may hamper reliable predictions in COVID-19 epidemic models

Compartmental models are widely adopted to describe and predict the spreading of infectious diseases. The unknown parameters of such models need to be estimated from the data. Furthermore, when some of the model variables are not empirically accessible, as in the case of asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, they have to be obtained as an outcome of the model. Here, we introduce a framework to quantify how the uncertainty in the data impacts the determination of the parameters and the evolution of the unmeasured variables of a given model. We illustrate how the method is able to characterize different regimes of identifiability, even in models with few compartments. Finally, we discuss how the lack of identifiability in a realistic model for COVID-19 may prevent reliable forecasting of the epidemic dynamics.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Wavelet-based discrimination of isolated singularities masquerading as multifractals in detrended fluctuation analyses

The robustness of two widespread multifractal analysis methods, one based on detrended fluctuation analysis and one on wavelet leaders, is discussed in the context of time-series containing non-uniform structures with only isolated singularities. Signals generated by simulated and experimentally-realized chaos generators, together with synthetic data addressing particular aspects, are taken into consideration. The results reveal essential limitations affecting the ability of both methods to correctly infer the non-multifractal nature of signals devoid of a cascade-like hierarchy of singularities. Namely, signals harboring only isolated singularities are found to artefactually give rise to broad multifractal spectra, resembling those expected in the presence of a well-developed underlying multifractal structure. Hence, there is a real risk of incorrectly inferring multifractality due to isolated singularities. The careful consideration of local scaling properties and the distribution of Hölder exponent obtained, for example, through wavelet analysis, is indispensable for rigorously assessing the presence or absence of multifractality.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2019

Warped phase coherence: an empirical synchronization measure combining phase and amplitude information

The entrainment between weakly-coupled nonlinear oscillators, as well as between complex signals such as those representing physiological activity, is frequently assessed in terms of whether a stable relationship is detectable between the instantaneous phases extracted from the measured or simulated time-series via the analytic signal. Here, we demonstrate that adding a possibly complex constant value to this normally null-mean signal has a non-trivial warping effect. Among other consequences, this introduces a level of sensitivity to the amplitude fluctuations and average relative phase. By means of simulations of Roessler systems and experiments on single-transistor oscillator networks, it is shown that the resulting coherence measure may have an empirical value in improving the inference of the structural couplings from the dynamics. When tentatively applied to the electroencephalogram recorded while performing imaginary and real movements, this straightforward modification of the phase locking value substantially improved the classification accuracy. Hence, its possible practical relevance in brain-computer and brain-machine interfaces deserves consideration.

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2018

High-dimensional dynamics in a single-transistor oscillator containing Feynman-Sierpinski resonators: effect of fractal depth and irregularity

Fractal structures pervade nature and are receiving increasing engineering attention towards the realization of broadband resonators and antennas. We show that fractal resonators can support the emergence of high-dimensional chaotic dynamics even in the context of an elementary, single-transistor oscillator circuit. Sierpiński gaskets of variable depth are constructed using discrete capacitors and inductors, whose values are scaled according to a simple sequence. It is found that in regular fractals of this kind each iteration effectively adds a conjugate pole/zero pair, yielding gradually more complex and broader frequency responses, which can also be implemented as much smaller Foster equivalent networks. The resonators are instanced in the circuit as one-port devices, replacing the inductors found in the initial version of the oscillator. By means of a highly simplified numerical model, it is shown that increasing the fractal depth elevates the dimension of the chaotic dynamics, leading to high-order hyperchaos. This result is overall confirmed by SPICE simulations and experiments, which however also reveal that the non-ideal behavior of physical components hinders obtaining high-dimensional dynamics. The issue could be practically mitigated by building the Foster equivalent networks rather than the verbatim fractals. Furthermore, it is shown that considerably more complex resonances, and consequently richer dynamics, can be obtained by rendering the fractal resonators irregular through reshuffling the inductors, or even by inserting a limited number of focal imperfections. The present results draw attention to the potential usefulness of fractal resonators for generating high-dimensional chaotic dynamics, and underline the importance of irregularities and component non-idealities.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2018

Apparent remote synchronization of amplitudes: a demodulation and interference effect

A form of "remote synchronization" was recently described wherein amplitude fluctuations across a ring of non-identical, non-linear electronic oscillators become entrained into spatially-structured patterns. According to linear models and mutual information, synchronization and causality dip at a certain distance, then recover before eventually fading. Here, the underlying mechanism is finally elucidated through novel experiments and simulations. The system non-linearity is found to have a dual role: it supports chaotic dynamics, and it enables energy exchange between the lower and higher sidebands of a predominant frequency. This frequency acts as carrier signal in an arrangement resembling standard amplitude modulation, wherein the lower sideband and the demodulated baseband signals spectrally overlap. Due to a spatially-dependent phase relationship, at a certain distance near-complete destructive interference occurs between them, causing the observed dip. Methods suitable for detecting non-trivial entrainment, such as transfer entropy and the auxiliary system approach, nevertheless reveal that synchronization and causality actually decrease with distance monotonically. Remoteness is, therefore, arguably only apparent, as also reflected in the propagation of external perturbations. These results demonstrate a complex mechanism of dynamical interdependence, and exemplify how it can lead to incorrectly inferring synchronization and causality.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2017

Indirect Long-range Interactions and Network Synchronization

The dynamical behavior of networked complex systems is shaped not only by the direct links among the units, but also by the long-range interactions occurring through the many existing paths connecting the network nodes. In this work, we study how synchronization dynamics is influenced by these long-range interactions, formulating a model of coupled oscillators that incorporates this type of interactions through the use of $d-$path Laplacian matrices. We study synchronizability of these networks by the analysis of the Laplacian spectra, both theoretically and numerically, for real-world networks and artificial models. Our analysis reveal that in all networks long-range interactions improve network synchronizability with an impact that depends on the original structure, for instance it is greater for graphs having a larger diameter. We also investigate the effects of edge removal in graphs with long-range interactions and, as a major result, find that the removal process becomes more critical, since also the long-range influence of the removed link disappears.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2016

Emergence of metapopulations and echo chambers in mobile agents

Multi-agent models often describe populations segregated either in the physical space, i.e. subdivided in metapopulations, or in the ecology of opinions, i.e. partitioned in echo chambers. Here we show how the interplay between homophily and social influence controls the emergence of both kinds of segregation in a simple model of mobile agents, endowed with a continuous opinion variable. In the model, physical proximity determines a progressive convergence of opinions but differing opinions result in agents moving away from each others. This feedback between mobility and social dynamics determines to the onset of a stable dynamical metapopulation scenario where physically separated groups of like-minded individuals interact with each other through the exchange of agents. The further introduction of confirmation bias in social interactions, defined as the tendency of an individual to favor opinions that match his own, leads to the emergence of echo chambers where different opinions can coexist also within the same group. We believe that the model may be of interest to researchers investigating the origin of segregation in the offline and online world.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2015

Synchronization of two Rossler systems with switching coupling

In this paper, we study a system of two Rossler oscillators coupled through a time-varying link, periodically switching between two values. We analyze the system behavior with respect to the frequency of the switching. By applying an averaging technique under the hypothesis of a high switching frequency, we find that although each value of the coupling does not produce synchronization, switching between the two at a high frequency stabilizes the synchronization manifold. However, we also find windows of synchronization below the value predicted by this technique, and we develop a master stability function to explain the appearance of these windows. Spectral properties of the system are a useful tool for understanding the dynamical properties and the synchronization failure in some intervals of the switching frequency. Numerical and experimental results in agreement with the analysis are presented.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2015

Intra-layer synchronization in multiplex networks

We study synchronization of $N$ oscillators indirectly coupled through a medium which is inhomogeneous and has its own dynamics. The system is formalized in terms of a multilayer network, where the top layer is made of disconnected oscillators and the bottom one, modeling the medium, consists of oscillators coupled according to a given topology. The different dynamics of the medium and the top layer is accounted by including a frequency mismatch between them. We show a novel regime of synchronization as intra-layer coherence does not necessarily require inter-layer coherence. This regime appears under mild conditions on the bottom layer: arbitrary topologies may be considered, provided that they support synchronization of the oscillators of the medium. The existence of a density-dependent threshold as in quorum-sensing phenomena is also demonstrated.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2014

Chimera states in time-varying complex networks

Chimera states have been recently found in a variety of different coupling schemes and geometries. In most cases, the underlying coupling structure is considered to be static, while many realistic systems display significant temporal changes in the pattern of connectivity. In this work, we investigate a time-varying network made of two coupled populations of Kuramoto oscillators, where the links between the two groups are considered to vary over time. As a main result, we find that the network may support stable, breathing and alternating chimera states. We also find that, when the rate of connectivity changes is fast, compared to the oscillator dynamics, the network may be described by a low-dimensional system of equations. Unlike in the static heterogeneous case, the onset of alternating chimera states is due to the presence of fluctuations, which may be induced either by the finite size of the network or by large switching times.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2013

Analysis of Remote Synchronization in Complex Networks

A novel regime of synchronization, called remote synchronization, where the peripheral nodes form a phase synchronized cluster not including the hub, was recently observed in star motifs. We show the existence of a more general dynamical state of remote synchronization in arbitrary networks of coupled oscillators. This state is characterized by the synchronization of pairs of nodes that are not directly connected via a physical link or any sequence of synchronized nodes. This phenomenon is almost negligible in networks of phase oscillators as its underlying mechanism is the modulation of the amplitude of those intermediary nodes between the remotely synchronized units. Our findings thus show the ubiquity and robustness of these states and bridge the gap from their recent observation in simple toy graphs to complex networks.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2009

Traffic optimization in transport networks based on local routing

Congestion in transport networks is a topic of theoretical interest and practical importance. In this paper we study the flow of vehicles in urban street networks. In particular, we use a cellular automata model to simulate the motion of vehicles along streets, coupled with a congestion-aware routing at street crossings. Such routing makes use of the knowledge of agents about traffic in nearby roads and allows the vehicles to dynamically update the routes towards their destinations. By implementing the model in real urban street patterns of various cities, we show that it is possible to achieve a global traffic optimization based on local agent decisions.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2007

Disease spreading in populations of moving agents

We study the effect of motion on disease spreading in a system of random walkers which additionally perform long-distance jumps. A small percentage of jumps in the agent motion is sufficient to destroy the local correlations and to produce a large drop in the epidemic threshold, well explained in terms of a mean-field approximation. This effect is similar to the crossover found in static small-world networks, and can be furthermore linked to the structural properties of the dynamical network of agent interactions.

physics.soc-ph↗