114 research outputs found
Robustness and fragility of the susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic models on complex networks
We analyze two alterations of the standard susceptible-infected-susceptible
(SIS) dynamics that preserve the central properties of spontaneous healing and
infection capacity of a vertex increasing unlimitedly with its degree. All
models have the same epidemic thresholds in mean-field theories but depending
on the network properties, simulations yield a dual scenario, in which the
epidemic thresholds of the modified SIS models can be either dramatically
altered or remain unchanged in comparison with the standard dynamics. For
uncorrelated synthetic networks having a power-law degree distribution with
exponent , the SIS dynamics are robust exhibiting essentially the
same outcomes for all investigated models. A threshold in better agreement with
the heterogeneous rather than quenched mean-field theory is observed in the
modified dynamics for exponent . Differences are more remarkable
for where a finite threshold is found in the modified models in
contrast with the vanishing threshold of the original one. This duality is
elucidated in terms of epidemic lifespan on star graphs. We verify that the
activation of the modified SIS models is triggered in the innermost component
of the network given by a -core decomposition for while it
happens only for , the
activation in the modified dynamics is collective involving essentially the
whole network while it is triggered by hubs in the standard SIS. The duality
also appears in the finite-size scaling of the critical quantities where
mean-field behaviors are observed for the modified, but not for the original
dynamics. Our results feed the discussions about the most proper conceptions of
epidemic models to describe real systems and the choices of the most suitable
theoretical approaches to deal with these models.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure
Exact and approximate moment closures for non-Markovian network epidemics
Moment-closure techniques are commonly used to generate low-dimensional
deterministic models to approximate the average dynamics of stochastic systems
on networks. The quality of such closures is usually difficult to asses and the
relationship between model assumptions and closure accuracy are often
difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. Here we carefully examine some
commonly used moment closures, in particular a new one based on the concept of
maximum entropy, for approximating the spread of epidemics on networks by
reconstructing the probability distributions over triplets based on those over
pairs. We consider various models (SI, SIR, SEIR and Reed-Frost-type) under
Markovian and non-Markovian assumption characterising the latent and infectious
periods. We initially study two special networks, namely the open triplet and
closed triangle, for which we can obtain analytical results. We then explore
numerically the exactness of moment closures for a wide range of larger motifs,
thus gaining understanding of the factors that introduce errors in the
approximations, in particular the presence of a random duration of the
infectious period and the presence of overlapping triangles in a network. We
also derive a simpler and more intuitive proof than previously available
concerning the known result that pair-based moment closure is exact for the
Markovian SIR model on tree-like networks under pure initial conditions. We
also extend such a result to all infectious models, Markovian and
non-Markovian, in which susceptibles escape infection independently from each
infected neighbour and for which infectives cannot regain susceptible status,
provided the network is tree-like and initial conditions are pure. This works
represent a valuable step in deepening understanding of the assumptions behind
moment closure approximations and for putting them on a more rigorous
mathematical footing.Comment: Main text (45 pages, 11 figures and 3 tables) + supplementary
material (12 pages, 10 figures and 1 table). Accepted for publication in
Journal of Theoretical Biology on 27th April 201
Temporal Networks
A great variety of systems in nature, society and technology -- from the web
of sexual contacts to the Internet, from the nervous system to power grids --
can be modeled as graphs of vertices coupled by edges. The network structure,
describing how the graph is wired, helps us understand, predict and optimize
the behavior of dynamical systems. In many cases, however, the edges are not
continuously active. As an example, in networks of communication via email,
text messages, or phone calls, edges represent sequences of instantaneous or
practically instantaneous contacts. In some cases, edges are active for
non-negligible periods of time: e.g., the proximity patterns of inpatients at
hospitals can be represented by a graph where an edge between two individuals
is on throughout the time they are at the same ward. Like network topology, the
temporal structure of edge activations can affect dynamics of systems
interacting through the network, from disease contagion on the network of
patients to information diffusion over an e-mail network. In this review, we
present the emergent field of temporal networks, and discuss methods for
analyzing topological and temporal structure and models for elucidating their
relation to the behavior of dynamical systems. In the light of traditional
network theory, one can see this framework as moving the information of when
things happen from the dynamical system on the network, to the network itself.
Since fundamental properties, such as the transitivity of edges, do not
necessarily hold in temporal networks, many of these methods need to be quite
different from those for static networks
PDE limits of stochastic SIS epidemics on networks
Stochastic epidemic models on networks are inherently high-dimensional and the resulting exact models are intractable numerically even for modest network sizes. Mean-field models provide an alternative but can only capture average quantities, thus offering little or no information about variability in the outcome of the exact process. In this article, we conjecture and numerically demonstrate that it is possible to construct partial differential equation (PDE)-limits of the exact stochastic susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemics on Regular, Erdős–Rényi, Barabási–Albert networks and lattices. To do this, we first approximate the exact stochastic process at population level by a Birth-and-Death process (BD) (with a state space of O(N) rather than O(2N)) whose coefficients are determined numerically from Gillespie simulations of the exact epidemic on explicit networks. We numerically demonstrate that the coefficients of the resulting BD process are density-dependent, a crucial condition for the existence of a PDE limit. Extensive numerical tests for Regular, Erdős–Rényi, Barabási–Albert networks and lattices show excellent agreement between the outcome of simulations and the numerical solution of the Fokker–Planck equations. Apart from a significant reduction in dimensionality, the PDE also provides the means to derive the epidemic outbreak threshold linking network and disease dynamics parameters, albeit in an implicit way. Perhaps more importantly, it enables the formulation and numerical evaluation of likelihoods for epidemic and network inference as illustrated in a fully worked out example
Graph Signal Processing: Overview, Challenges and Applications
Research in Graph Signal Processing (GSP) aims to develop tools for
processing data defined on irregular graph domains. In this paper we first
provide an overview of core ideas in GSP and their connection to conventional
digital signal processing. We then summarize recent developments in developing
basic GSP tools, including methods for sampling, filtering or graph learning.
Next, we review progress in several application areas using GSP, including
processing and analysis of sensor network data, biological data, and
applications to image processing and machine learning. We finish by providing a
brief historical perspective to highlight how concepts recently developed in
GSP build on top of prior research in other areas.Comment: To appear, Proceedings of the IEE
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