Cascading Failures in Two-Layered Interdependent Scale-Free Networks

Abstract

Cascading failures in isolated networks have been widely studied in the past decade, cascading failures in interdependent networks are attracting more and more attention recently, but previous studies focus on the interdependent networks topological cascading effects, neglecting the loads which present in most real networks. Considering the effect of loads, the two-layered interdependent BA network model and the cascading failure model were reestablished in this paper, based on these, the robustness of interdependent networks under random failures and intentional attacks and the effects of average degree on the suppressing of cascading failures were researched. The simulation results show that compared to random failures, interdependent network is more vulnerable under intentional attacks; the network in coupled state is more vulnerable than in isolated state under random failures, while therere no obvious differences under intentional attacks; the network performs more robust to resist cascading failures if each layer network of the interdependent network hold larger average degree.