Yuvrajsingh Pravinsingh Patil

arXiv2026

Chimera States in Wheel Networks

Chimera states, characterized by the coexistence of coherent and incoherent dynamics, are a hallmark of symmetry-breaking phenomena in networks of coupled oscillators. Here, we investigate the role of higher-order interactions in the emergence of chimera states in wheel networks of Rössler and Lorenz oscillators with pairwise and higher-order interactions under diffusive, conjugate, and mean-field diffusive coupling. Using multiple random initial conditions, we quantify the prevalence of synchronized, desynchronized, chimera, and synchronized cluster states. Chimera states emerge across all three coupling mechanisms as symmetry-broken states among the structurally and dynamically equivalent peripheral oscillators. Higher-order interactions substantially reorganize the dynamical landscape; in particular, they shift chimera states toward weaker pairwise coupling under diffusive coupling, predominantly support them at moderate coupling strengths under conjugate coupling, and yield comparatively less prevalent chimera states under mean-field diffusive coupling. These effects depend strongly on the intrinsic oscillator dynamics, particularly at larger higher-order coupling strengths. Overall, higher-order interactions neither universally promote nor suppress chimera states; rather, their influence is governed by the interplay between network symmetry, coupling mechanism, and intrinsic oscillator dynamics. The observed collective states are quantitatively characterized using two proposed statistical measures, while master-stability-function analysis provides a stability-based explanation for the loss of complete synchronization and the emergence of nonsynchronous dynamical regimes.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2026

Gravity-Driven Eco-Epidemiological Dynamics in Tri-Trophic Food Chains

Ecological communities are shaped by the interplay between trophic interactions and infectious disease, yet how spatially mediated interactions influence disease-driven ecosystem dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we develop a gravity-based eco-epidemiological framework for a tri-trophic food chain in which trophic interaction depends on species abundances and effective interaction distance. The disease-free food chain system supports a stable coexistence equilibrium, providing a baseline for investigating disease-induced ecological transitions. Introducing infection at the intermediate trophic level destabilizes this equilibrium through a Hopf bifurcation, leading to sustained oscillations, whereas infection at the top predator level results in a qualitatively different transition from persistence to extinction. By systematically varying the gravity coupling strength, we show that gravity-mediated trophic interactions regulate the thresholds separating these ecological regimes, while the trophic position of infection determines the nature of the transition. Together, these findings establish a unified framework for understanding how spatially mediated trophic interactions and infectious disease jointly govern ecosystem stability, providing new insights into disease-driven dynamics in ecological communities.

q-bio.PE↗