Graph operations and synchronization of complex networks

Abstract

The effects of graph operations on the synchronization of coupled dynamical systems are studied. The operations range from addition or deletion of links to various ways of combining networks and generating larger networks from simpler ones. Methods from graph theory are used to calculate or estimate the eigenvalues of the Laplacian operator, which determine the synchronizability of continuous or discrete time dynamics evolving on the network. Results are applied to explain numerical observations on random, scale-free, and small-world networks. An interesting feature is that, when two networks are combined by adding links between them, the synchronizability of the resulting network may worsen as the synchronizability of the individual networks is improved. Similarly, adding links to a network may worsen its synchronizability, although it decreases the average distance in the graph.