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Ofer Biham

Publications and source records attributed to Ofer Biham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

The distribution of eccentricities in random regular graphs

We derive a closed-form analytical expression for the distribution of eccentricities (DoE) in random regular graphs (RRGs) that consist of $N$ nodes of degree $c$. The DoE is given by the tail distribution $P(E > \ell) \simeq 1 - \exp \left[ - \exp \left( - \frac{ e^{b \ell} - \mu }{\beta} \right) \right]$, where the distance $\ell$ takes integer values, $b = \ln (c-1)$ is the shape parameter, $\beta = \frac{c-2}{c} N$ is the scale parameter and $\mu = \frac{c-2}{c} N \ln N$ is the location parameter. By providing the full distribution rather than a single characteristic length scale, we present a detailed view of the large-scale structure. In spite of the fact that the degrees of all the nodes are the same, their eccentricities exhibit non-trivial variations. We derive a closed-form expression for the mean eccentricity, which is given by $\langle E \rangle \simeq \frac{\ln N}{\ln (c-1)} + \frac{\ln \ln N}{\ln (c-1)} - \frac{ \ln c - \ln (c-2) }{ \ln (c-1) } + \frac{1}{2}$. We calculate the mode of the DoE, which exhibits a staircase profile as a function of the network size. Interestingly, the mode is given by $E_{\rm mode} ={\rm Round} \left( \langle E \rangle \right)$, where ${\rm Round}( x )$ is the nearest integer to $x$. We also calculate the variance ${\rm Var}(E)$ and show that it exhibits oscillations as a function of the network size $N$. The results presented in this paper may serve as benchmarks for algorithmic approaches to eccentricity calculations in large sparse networks. The eccentricities are important in practical applications such as broadcasting and global dissemination, where the network performance is determined by the longest delay times.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2026

First-passage processes in a deterministic one-dimensional cellular automaton model of traffic flow

We present analytical results for first-passage processes in a deterministic one-dimensional cellular automaton (CA) model of traffic flow. Starting at time $t=0$ from a random initial state with car density p, at every time step $t\ge 1$ each car moves one step to the right if the cell on its right is empty, and is stopped if it is occupied by another car. The model, which coincides with CA rule 184 in Wolfram's numbering scheme, exhibits a continuous dynamical phase transition at $p=1/2$, between a low-density free-flowing phase and a high-density congested phase. Using the framework of first-passage processes, we derive a closed-form expression for the distribution $P(T_{FS}=t)$ of first-stopping (FS) times, which is the probability that a randomly selected car will be stopped for the first time at time $t$. We also obtain a closed-form expression for the stopping probability $P_S(t)$, which is the probability that a randomly selected car will be stopped at time $t$. In the low-density phase of $0<p<1/2$, the probability $P_S(t)$ yields a closed-form expression for the distribution $P(T_{LS}=t)$ of last-stopping (LS) times, which is the probability that a randomly selected car will be stopped for the last time at time $t$, beyond which it will move freely indefinitely. In this regime, we analyze the relation between the LS time and the number of stopping events $N_S$ which take place up to that time. We present closed-form expressions for the joint distribution $P(T_{LS}=t,N_S=n)$, for the two conditional distributions that emanate from it and for the marginal distribution $P(N_S=n)$. These results provide insight on the time scales of congestion and relaxation in deterministic traffic flow from the point of view of individual cars. In a broader context, they provide insight on complex relaxation processes that involve many interacting particles, such as deterministic surface growth.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2026

Structure and dynamics in the low-density phase of a two-dimensional cellular automaton model of traffic flow

We analyze the structure and dynamics in the low-density phase of the deterministic two-dimensional cellular automaton model of traffic flow introduced in [O. Biham, A.A. Middleton and D. Levine, Phys. Rev. A 46, R6124 (1992)]. The model consists of horizontally-oriented (H) cars that move to the right and vertically-oriented (V) cars that move downward, on a square lattice of size $L$ with periodic boundary conditions. Starting from a random initial state of density $p$, which is equally divided between the H and V-cars, the model exhibits a phase transition at a critical density $p_c$. For $p p_c$ it evolves toward a fully-jammed state or to an intermediate state of congested traffic. In the FFP states, the H and V-cars segregate into homogeneous diagonal bands, in which they move freely without obstruction. To analyze the convergence toward the FFP states we introduce a configuration-space distance measure $D(t)=D_{\parallel}(t)+D_{\perp}(t)$ between the state of the system at time $t$ and the set of FFP states. The $D_{\parallel}(t)$ term accounts for the interactions between homotypic pairs of H (or V) cars, while $D_{\perp}(t)$ accounts for the interactions between heterotypic pairs of H and V-cars. We show that in the FFP states $D(t)=0$, while in all the other states $D(t)>0$. As the system evolves toward the FFP states, there is a separation of time scales, where $D_{\parallel}(t)$ decays very fast while $D_{\perp}(t)$ decays much more slowly. Moreover, the time dependence of $D_{\perp}(t)$ is well fitted by an exponentially truncated power-law decay of the form $D_{\perp}(t)\sim t^{-\gamma} \exp(-t/\tau_{\perp})$, where $\tau_{\perp}$ depends on $L$ and $p$. The power-law decay suggests avalanche-like dynamics with no characteristic scale, while the exponential cutoff is imposed by the finite lattice size.

nlin.CG↗
arXiv2025

The effect of preferential node deletion on the structure of networks that evolve via preferential attachment

We present analytical results for the effect of preferential node deletion on the structure of networks that evolve via node addition and preferential attachment. To this end, we consider a preferential-attachment-preferential-deletion (PAPD) model, in which at each time step, with probability $P_{\rm add}$ there is a growth step where an isolated node is added to the network, followed by the addition of $m$ edges, where each edge connects a node selected uniformly at random to a node selected preferentially in proportion to its degree. Alternatively, with probability $P_{\rm del}=1-P_{\rm add}$ there is a contraction step, in which a preferentially selected node is deleted and its links are erased. The balance between the growth and contraction processes is captured by the growth/contraction rate $\eta=P_{\rm add}-P_{\rm del}$. For $0 < \eta \le 1$ the overall process is of network growth, while for $-1\le\eta<0$ the overall process is of network contraction. Using the master equation and the generating function formalism, we study the time-dependent degree distribution $P_t(k)$. It is found that for each value of $m>0$ there is a critical value $\eta_c(m)=-(m-2)/(m+2)$ such that for $\eta_c(m)<\eta\le1$ the degree distribution $P_t(k)$ converges towards a stationary distribution $P_{\rm st}(k)$. In the special case of pure growth, where $\eta=1$, the model is reduced to a preferential attachment growth model and $P_{\rm st}(k)$ exhibits a power-law tail, which is a characteristic of scale-free networks. In contrast, for $\eta_c(m)<\eta<1$ the distribution $P_{\rm st}(k)$ exhibits an exponential tail, which has a well-defined scale.This implies a phase transition at $\eta=1$, in contrast with the preferential-attachment-random-deletion (PARD) model [B. Budnick, O. Biham and E. Katzav, J. Stat. Mech. 013401 (2025)], in which the power-law tail remains intact as long as $\eta>0$.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2024

Phase transition in evolving networks that combine preferential attachment and random node deletion

Analytical results are presented for the structure of networks that evolve via a preferential-attachment-random-deletion (PARD) model in the regime of overall network growth and in the regime of overall contraction. The phase transition between the two regimes is studied. At each time step a node addition and preferential attachment step takes place with probability $P_{\rm add}$, and a random node deletion step takes place with probability $P_{\rm del} = 1 - P_{\rm add}$. The balance between growth and contraction is captured by the parameter $\eta = P_{\rm add} - P_{\rm del}$, which in the regime of overall network growth satisfies $0 < \eta \le 1$ and in the regime of overall network contraction $-1 \le \eta < 0$. Using the master equation and computer simulations we show that for $-1 < \eta < 0$ the time-dependent degree distribution $P_t(k)$ converges towards a stationary form $P_{\rm st}(k)$ which exhibits an exponential tail. This is in contrast with the power-law tail of the stationary degree distribution obtained for $0 < \eta \le 1$. Thus, the PARD model has a phase transition at $\eta=0$, which separates between two structurally distinct phases. At the transition, for $\eta=0$, the degree distribution exhibits a stretched exponential tail. While the stationary degree distribution in the phase of overall growth represents an asymptotic state, in the phase of overall contraction $P_{\rm st}(k)$ represents an intermediate asymptotic state of a finite life span, which disappears when the network vanishes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2024

Analytical results for the distribution of first return times of non-backtracking random walks on configuration model networks

We present analytical results for the distribution of first return (FR) times of non-backtracking random walks (NBWs) on undirected configuration model networks consisting of $N$ nodes with degree distribution $P(k)$. We focus on the case in which the network consists of a single connected component. Starting from a random initial node $i$ at time $t=0$, an NBW hops into a random neighbor of $i$ at time $t=1$ and at each subsequent step it continues to hop into a random neighbor of its current node, excluding the previous node. We calculate the tail distribution $P ( T_{\rm FR} > t )$ of first return times from a random initial node to itself. It is found that $P ( T_{\rm FR} > t )$ is given by a discrete Laplace transform of the degree distribution $P(k)$. This result exemplifies the relation between structural properties of a network, captured by the degree distribution, and properties of dynamical processes taking place on the network. Using the tail-sum formula, we calculate the mean first return time ${\mathbb E}[ T_{\rm FR} ]$. Surprisingly, ${\mathbb E}[ T_{\rm FR} ]$ coincides with the result obtained from Kac's lemma that applies to simple random walks (RWs). We also calculate the variance ${\rm Var}(T_{\rm FR})$, which accounts for the variability of first return times between different NBW trajectories. We apply this formalism to Erd{\H o}s-R\'enyi networks, random regular graphs and configuration model networks with exponential and power-law degree distributions and obtain closed-form expressions for $P( T_{\rm FR} > t )$ as well as its mean and variance. These results provide useful insight on the advantages of NBWs over simple RWs in network exploration, sampling and search processes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2024

The joint distribution of first return times and of the number of distinct sites visited by a 1D random walk before returning to the origin

We present analytical results for the joint probability distribution $P(T_{FR}=t,S=s)$ of first return (FR) times t and of the number of distinct sites s visited by a random walk (RW) on a one dimensional lattice before returning to the origin. The RW on a one dimensional lattice is recurrent, namely the probability to return to the origin is $P_{R}=1$. However the mean $\langle T_{FR}\rangle$ of the distribution $P(T_{FR}=t)$ of first return times diverges. Similarly, the mean $\langle S\rangle$ of the distribution $P(S=s)$ of the number of distinct sites visited before returning to the origin also diverges. The joint distribution $P(T_{FR}=t,S=s)$ provides a formulation that controls these divergences and accounts for the interplay between the kinetic and geometric properties of first return trajectories. We calculate the conditional distributions $P(T_{FR}=t|S=s)$ and $P(S=s|T_{FR}=t)$. We find that the conditional expectation value of first return times of trajectories that visit s distinct sites is ${\mathbb E}[T_{FR}|S=s]=\frac{2}{3}(s^2+s+1)$, and the variance is $Var(T_{FR}|S=s)=\frac{4}{45}(s-1)(s+2)(s^2+s-1)$. We also find that in the asymptotic limit, the conditional expectation value of the number of distinct sites visited by an RW that first returns to the origin at time $t=2n$ is ${\mathbb E}[S|T_{FR}=2n] \simeq \sqrt{\pi n}$, and the variance is $Var(S|T_{FR}=2n) \simeq \pi\left(\frac{\pi}{3}-1\right)n$. These results go beyond the important recent results of Klinger et al. [{\it Phys. Rev. E} {\bf 105}, 034116 (2022)], who derived a closed form expression for the generating function of the joint distribution, but did not go further to extract an explicit expression for the joint distribution itself. The joint distribution provides useful insight on the efficiency of random search processes, in which the aim is to cover as many sites as possible in a given number of steps.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2023

The distribution of shortest path lengths on trees of a given size in subcritical Erdos-Renyi networks

In the subcritical regime Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi (ER) networks consist of finite tree components, which are non-extensive in the network size. The distribution of shortest path lengths (DSPL) of subcritical ER networks was recently calculated using a topological expansion [E. Katzav, O. Biham and A.K. Hartmann, Phys. Rev. E 98, 012301 (2018)]. The DSPL, which accounts for the distance $\ell$ between any pair of nodes that reside on the same finite tree component, was found to follow a geometric distribution of the form $P(L=\ell | L < \infty) = (1-c) c^{\ell - 1}$, where $0 < c < 1$ is the mean degree of the network. This result includes the contributions of trees of all possible sizes and topologies. Here we calculate the distribution of shortest path lengths $P(L=\ell | S=s)$ between random pairs of nodes that reside on the same tree component of a given size $s$. It is found that $P(L=\ell | S=s) = \frac{\ell+1}{s^{\ell}} \frac{(s-2)!}{(s-\ell-1)!}$. Surprisingly, this distribution does not depend on the mean degree $c$ of the network from which the tree components were extracted. This is due to the fact that the ensemble of tree components of a given size $s$ in subcritical ER networks is sampled uniformly from the set of labeled trees of size $s$ and thus does not depend on $c$. The moments of the DSPL are also calculated. It is found that the mean distance between random pairs of nodes on tree components of size $s$ satisfies ${\mathbb E}[L|S=s] \sim \sqrt{s}$, unlike small-world networks in which the mean distance scales logarithmically with $s$.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2023

The distribution of the number of cycles in directed and undirected random 2-regular graphs

We present analytical results for the distribution of the number of cycles in directed and undirected random 2-regular graphs (2-RRGs) consisting of $N$ nodes. In directed 2-RRGs each node has one inbound link and one outbound link, while in undirected 2-RRGs each node has two undirected links. Since all the nodes are of degree $k=2$, the resulting networks consist of cycles. These cycles exhibit a broad spectrum of lengths, where the average length of the shortest cycle in a random network instance scales with $\ln N$, while the length of the longest cycle scales with $N$. The number of cycles varies between different network instances in the ensemble, where the mean number of cycles $\langle S \rangle$ scales with $\ln N$. Here we present exact analytical results for the distribution $P_N(S=s)$ of the number of cycles $s$ in ensembles of directed and undirected 2-RRGs, expressed in terms of the Stirling numbers of the first kind. In both cases the distributions converge to a Poisson distribution in the large $N$ limit. The moments and cumulants of $P_N(S=s)$ are also calculated. The statistical properties of directed 2-RRGs are equivalent to the combinatorics of cycles in random permutations of $N$ objects. In this context our results recover and extend known results. In contrast, the statistical properties of cycles in undirected 2-RRGs have not been studied before.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2022

The structure of networks that evolve under a combination of growth, via node addition and random attachment, and contraction, via random node deletion

We present analytical results for the emerging structure of networks that evolve via a combination of growth (by node addition and random attachment) and contraction (by random node deletion). To this end we consider a network model in which at each time step a node addition and random attachment step takes place with probability $P_{add}$ and a random node deletion step takes place with probability $P_{del}=1-P_{add}$. The balance between the growth and contraction processes is captured by the parameter $\eta=P_{add}-P_{del}$. The case of pure network growth is described by $\eta=1$. In case that $0<\eta<1$ the rate of node addition exceeds the rate of node deletion and the overall process is of network growth. In the opposite case, where $-1<\eta<0$, the overall process is of network contraction, while in the special case of $\eta=0$ the expected size of the network remains fixed, apart from fluctuations. Using the master equation we obtain a closed form expression for the time dependent degree distribution $P_t(k)$. The degree distribution $P_t(k)$ includes a term that depends on the initial degree distribution $P_0(k)$, which decays as time evolves, and an asymptotic distribution $P_{st}(k)$. In the case of pure network growth ($\eta=1$) the asymptotic distribution $P_{st}(k)$ follows an exponential distribution, while for $-1<\eta<1$ it consists of a sum of Poisson-like terms and exhibits a Poisson-like tail. In the case of overall network growth ($0 < \eta < 1$) the degree distribution $P_t(k)$ eventually converges to $P_{st}(k)$. In the case of overall network contraction ($-1 < \eta < 0$) we identify two different regimes. For $-1/3 < \eta < 0$ the degree distribution $P_t(k)$ quickly converges towards $P_{st}(k)$. In contrast, for $-1 < \eta < -1/3$ the convergence of $P_t(k)$ is initially very slow and it gets closer to $P_{st}(k)$ only shortly before the network vanishes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2022

Analytical results for the distribution of first-passage times of random walks on random regular graphs

We present analytical results for the distribution of first-passage (FP) times of random walks (RWs) on random regular graphs that consist of $N$ nodes of degree $c \ge 3$. Starting from a random initial node at time $t=0$, at each time step $t \ge 1$ an RW hops into a random neighbor of its previous node. In some of the time steps the RW may hop into a yet-unvisited node while in other time steps it may revisit a node that has already been visited before. We calculate the distribution $P( T_{\rm FP} = t )$ of first-passage times from a random initial node $i$ to a random target node $j$, where $j \ne i$. We distinguish between FP trajectories whose backbone follows the shortest path (SPATH) from the initial node $i$ to the target node $j$ and FP trajectories whose backbone does not follow the shortest path ($\lnot {\rm SPATH}$). More precisely, the SPATH trajectories from the initial node $i$ to the target node $j$ are defined as trajectories in which the subnetwork that consists of the nodes and edges along the trajectory is a tree network. Moreover, the shortest path between $i$ and $j$ on this subnetwork is the same as in the whole network. The SPATH scenario is probable mainly when the length $\ell_{ij}$ of the shortest path between the initial node $i$ and the target node $j$ is small. The analytical results are found to be in very good agreement with the results obtained from computer simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2022

The mean and variance of the distribution of shortest path lengths of random regular graphs

The distribution of shortest path lengths (DSPL) of random networks provides useful information on their large scale structure. In the special case of random regular graphs (RRGs), which consist of $N$ nodes of degree $c \ge 3$, the DSPL, denoted by $P(L=\ell)$, follows a discrete Gompertz distribution. Using the discrete Laplace transform we derive a closed-form expression for the moment generating function of the DSPL of RRGs. From the moment generating function we obtain closed-form expressions for the mean and variance of the DSPL. More specifically, we find that the mean distance between pairs of distinct nodes is given by $\langle L \rangle = \frac{\ln N}{\ln (c-1)} + \frac{1}{2} - \frac{ \ln c - \ln (c-2) +\gamma}{\ln (c-1)} + \mathcal{O} \left( \frac{\ln N}{N} \right)$, where $\gamma$ is the Euler-Mascheroni constant. While the leading term is known, this result includes a novel correction term, which yields very good agreement with the results obtained from direct numerical evaluation of $\langle L \rangle$ via the tail-sum formula and with the results obtained from computer simulations. However, it does not account for an oscillatory behavior of $\langle L \rangle$ as a function of $c$ or $N$. These oscillations are negligible in sparse networks but detectable in dense networks. We also derive an expression for the variance ${\rm Var}(L)$ of the DSPL, which captures the overall dependence of the variance on $c$ but does not account for the oscillations. The oscillations are due to the discrete nature of the shell structure around a random node. They reflect the profile of the filling of new shells as $N$ is increased. The results for the mean and variance are compared to the corresponding results obtained in other types of random networks. The relation between the mean distance and the diameter is discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2021

Analytical results for the distribution of cover times of random walks on random regular graphs

We present analytical results for the distribution of cover times of random walks (RWs) on random regular graphs consisting of $N$ nodes of degree $c$ ($c \ge 3$). Starting from a random initial node at time $t=1$, at each time step $t \ge 2$ an RW hops into a random neighbor of its previous node. In some of the time steps the RW may visit a new, yet-unvisited node, while in other time steps it may revisit a node that has already been visited before. The cover time $T_{\rm C}$ is the number of time steps required for the RW to visit every single node in the network at least once. We derive a master equation for the distribution $P_t(S=s)$ of the number of distinct nodes $s$ visited by an RW up to time $t$ and solve it analytically. Inserting $s=N$ we obtain the cumulative distribution of cover times, namely the probability $P(T_{\rm C} \le t) = P_t(S=N)$ that up to time $t$ an RW will visit all the $N$ nodes in the network. Taking the large network limit, we show that $P(T_{\rm C} \le t)$ converges to a Gumbel distribution. We calculate the distribution of partial cover (PC) times $P( T_{{\rm PC},k} = t )$, which is the probability that at time $t$ an RW will complete visiting $k$ distinct nodes. We also calculate the distribution of random cover (RC) times $P( T_{{\rm RC},k} = t )$, which is the probability that at time $t$ an RW will complete visiting all the nodes in a subgraph of $k$ randomly pre-selected nodes at least once. The analytical results for the distributions of cover times are found to be in very good agreement with the results obtained from computer simulations.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2021

Analytical results for the distribution of first return times of random walks on random regular graphs

We present analytical results for the distribution of first return (FR) times of random walks (RWs) on random regular graphs (RRGs) consisting of $N$ nodes of degree $c \ge 3$. Starting from a random initial node $i$ at time $t=0$, at each time step $t \ge 1$ an RW hops into a random neighbor of its previous node. We calculate the distribution $P ( T_{\rm FR} = t )$ of first return times to the initial node $i$. We distinguish between first return trajectories in which the RW retrocedes its own steps backwards all the way back to the initial node $i$ and those in which the RW returns to $i$ via a path that does not retrocede its own steps. In the retroceding scenario, each edge that belongs to the RW trajectory is crossed the same number of times in the forward and backward directions. In the non-retroceding scenario the subgraph that consists of the nodes visited by the RW and the edges it has crossed between these nodes includes at least one cycle. In the limit of $N \rightarrow \infty$ the RRG converges towards the Bethe lattice. The Bethe lattice exhibits a tree structure, in which all the first return trajectories belong to the retroceding scenario. Moreover, in the limit of $N \rightarrow \infty$ the trajectories of RWs on RRGs are transient in the sense that they return to the initial node with probability $<1$. In this sense they resemble the trajectories of RWs on regular lattices of dimensions $d \ge 3$. The analytical results are found to be in excellent agreement with the results obtained from computer simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2021

Analytical results for the distribution of first hitting times of random walks on random regular graphs

We present analytical results for the distribution of first hitting times of random walks (RWs) on random regular graphs (RRGs) of degree $c \ge 3$ and a finite size $N$. Starting from a random initial node at time $t=1$, at each time step $t \ge 2$ an RW hops randomly into one of the $c$ neighbors of its previous node. In some of the time steps the RW may hop into a yet-unvisited node while in other time steps it may revisit a node that has already been visited before. The first time at which the RW enters a node that has already been visited before is called the first hitting time or the first intersection length. The first hitting event may take place either by backtracking (BT) to the previous node or by retracing (RET), namely stepping into a node which has been visited two or more time steps earlier. We calculate the tail distribution $P( T_{\rm FH} > t )$ of first hitting (FH) times as well as its mean $\langle T_{\rm FH} \rangle$ and variance ${\rm Var}(T_{\rm FH})$. We also calculate the probabilities $P_{\rm BT}$ and $P_{\rm RET}$ that the first hitting event will occur via the backtracking scenario or via the retracing scenario, respectively. We show that in dilute networks the dominant first hitting scenario is backtracking while in dense networks the dominant scenario is retracing and calculate the conditional distributions $P(T_{\rm FH}=t| {\rm BT})$ and $P(T_{\rm FH}=t| {\rm RET})$, for the two scenarios. The analytical results are in excellent agreement with the results obtained from computer simulations. Considering the first hitting event as a termination mechanism of the RW trajectories, these results provide useful insight into the general problem of survival analysis and the statistics of mortality rates when two or more termination scenarios coexist.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2021

The Fate of Articulation Points and Bredges in Percolation

We investigate the statistics of articulation points and bredges (bridge-edges) in complex networks in which bonds are randomly removed in a percolation process. Articulation points are nodes in a network which, if removed, would split the network component on which they are located into two or more separate components, while bredges are edges whose removal would split the network component on which they are located into two separate components. Both articulation points and bredges play an important role in processes of network dismantling and it is therefore useful to know the evolution of the probability of nodes or edges to be articulation points and bredges, respectively, when a fraction of edges is randomly removed from the network in a percolation process. Due to the heterogeneity of the network, the probability of a node to be an articulation point, or the probability of an edge to be a bredge will not be homogeneous across the network. We therefore analyze full distributions of articulation point probabilities as well as bredge probabilities, using a message-passing or cavity approach to the problem, as well as a deconvolution of these distributions according to degrees of the node or the degrees of both adjacent nodes in the case of bredges. Our methods allow us to obtain these distributions both for large single instances of networks as well as for ensembles of networks in the configuration model class in the thermodynamic limit of infinite system size. We also derive closed form expressions for the large mean degree limit of Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi networks.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗
arXiv2020

Convergence towards an Erd{\H o}s-R\'enyi graph structure in network contraction processes

In a highly influential paper twenty years ago, Barab\'asi and Albert [Science 286, 509 (1999)] showed that networks undergoing generic growth processes with preferential attachment evolve towards scale-free structures. In any finite system, the growth eventually stalls and is likely to be followed by a phase of network contraction due to node failures, attacks or epidemics. Using the master equation formulation and computer simulations we analyze the structural evolution of networks subjected to contraction processes via random, preferential and propagating node deletions. We show that the contracting networks converge towards an Erd{\H o}s-R\'enyi network structure whose mean degree continues to decrease as the contraction proceeds. This is manifested by the convergence of the degree distribution towards a Poisson distribution and the loss of degree-degree correlations.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2020

Statistical analysis of edges and bredges in configuration model networks

A bredge (bridge-edge) is an edge whose deletion would split the network component on which it resides into two components. Bredges are vulnerable links that play an important role in network collapse processes, which may result from node or link failures, attacks or epidemics. Therefore, the abundance and properties of bredges affect the resilience of the network. We present analytical results for the statistical properties of bredges in configuration model networks. Using a generating function approach based on the cavity method, we calculate the probability $\hat P(e\in{\rm B})$ that a random edge e in a configuration model network with degree distribution P(k) is a bredge (B). We also calculate the joint degree distribution $\hat P(k,k'|{\rm B})$ of the end-nodes of a random bredge. We examine the distinct properties of bredges on the giant component (GC) and on the finite tree components (FC) of the network. On the finite components all the edges are bredges and there are no degree-degree correlations. We calculate the probability $\hat P(e\in{\rm B}|{\rm GC})$ that a random edge on the giant component is a bredge. We also calculate the joint degree distribution $\hat P(k,k'|{\rm B},{\rm GC})$ of the end-nodes of bredges and the joint degree distribution $\hat P(k,k'|{\rm NB},{\rm GC})$ of the end-nodes of non-bredge (NB) edges on the giant component. Surprisingly, it is found that the degrees k and k' of the end-nodes of bredges are correlated, while the degrees of the end-nodes of NB edges are uncorrelated. We thus conclude that all the degree-degree correlations on the giant component are concentrated on the bredges. We calculate the covariance of end-nodes of bredges and show it is negative, namely bredges tend to connect high degree nodes to low degree nodes. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of common attack scenarios and dismantling processes.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗