A model for cascading failures in scale-free networks with a breakdown probability

Jian-Wei Wang and Li-Li Rong

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2009, vol. 388, issue 7, 1289-1298

Abstract: Considering that not all overload nodes will be removed from networks due to some effective measures to protect them, we propose a new cascading model with a breakdown probability. Adopting the initial load of a node j to be Lj=[kj(∑m∈Γjkm)]α with kj and Γj being the degree of the node j and the set of its neighboring nodes, respectively, where α is a tunable parameter, we investigate the relationship between some parameters and universal robustness characteristics against cascading failures on scale-free networks. According to a new measure originated from a phase transition from the normal state to collapse, the numerical simulations show that Barabási–Albert (BA) networks reach the strongest robustness level against cascading failures when the tunable parameter α=0.5, while not relating to the breakdown probability. We furthermore explore the effect of the average degree 〈k〉 for network robustness, thus obtaining a positive correlation between 〈k〉 and network robustness. We then analyze the effect of the breakdown probability on the network robustness and confirm by theoretical predictions this universal robustness characteristic observed in simulations. Our work may have practical implications for controlling various cascading-failure-induced disasters in the real world.

Keywords: Cascading failure; Scale-free network; BA network; Critical threshold; Breakdown probability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:388:y:2009:i:7:p:1289-1298

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2008.12.067

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