Using Boolean networks as prototypical examples, the role of symmetry in the
dynamics of heterogeneous complex systems is explored. We show that symmetry of
the dynamics, especially in critical states, is a controlling feature that can
be used both to greatly simplify analysis and to characterize different types
of dynamics. Symmetry in Boolean networks is found by determining the frequency
at which the various Boolean output functions occur. There are classes of
functions that consist of Boolean functions that behave similarly. These
classes are orbits of the controlling symmetry group. We find that the symmetry
that controls the critical random Boolean networks is expressed through the
frequency by which output functions are utilized by nodes that remain active on
dynamical attractors. This symmetry preserves canalization, a form of network
robustness. We compare it to a different symmetry known to control the dynamics
of an evolutionary process that allows Boolean networks to organize into a
critical state. Our results demonstrate the usefulness and power of using the
symmetry of the behavior of the nodes to characterize complex network dynamics,
and introduce a novel approach to the analysis of heterogeneous complex
systems
