Layers Of Multiplex Network Research Articles

Synchronization Induced by Layer Mismatch in Multiplex Networks.

Heterogeneity among interacting units plays an important role in numerous biological and man-made complex systems. While the impacts of heterogeneity on synchronization, in terms of structural mismatch of the layers in multiplex networks, has been studied thoroughly, its influence on intralayer synchronization, in terms of parameter mismatch among the layers, has not been adequately investigated. Here, we study the intralayer synchrony in multiplex networks, where the layers are different from one other, due to parameter mismatch in their local dynamics. In such a multiplex network, the intralayer coupling strength for the emergence of intralayer synchronization decreases upon the introduction of impurity among the layers, which is caused by a parameter mismatch in their local dynamics. Furthermore, the area of occurrence of intralayer synchronization also widens with increasing mismatch. We analytically derive a condition under which the intralayer synchronous solution exists, and we even sustain its stability. We also prove that, in spite of the mismatch among the layers, all the layers of the multiplex network synchronize simultaneously. Our results indicate that a multiplex network with mismatched layers can induce synchrony more easily than a multiplex network with identical layers.

Identifying top influential spreaders based on the influence weight of layers in multiplex networks

Detecting influential nodes in multiplex networks is a complex task due to the presence of multiple layers. In this study, we propose a method for identifying important layers with strong spreaders based on several key parameters. These include a layer's position within a well-connected neighborhood, the number of active edges and critical nodes, the ratio of active nodes to all possible connections, and the intersection of intra-layer communication compared to other layers. To accomplish this, we have formulated a layer weighting method which takes into account these parameters, and developed an algorithm for mapping and computing the rank of nodes based on their spreading capability within multiplex networks. The resulting layer weighting is then used to map and compress centrality vector values to a scalar value, allowing us to calculate node centrality in multiplex networks via a coupled set of equations. Moreover, our method combines the important layer parameters to compute the influence of nodes from different layers. Our experimental results, conducted on both synthetic and real-world networks, demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly outperforms existing methods in detecting high influential spreaders. These findings highlight the importance of using a suitable layer weighting measure for identifying potential spreaders in multiplex networks.

Correlation analysis of combined layers in multiplex networks based on entropy.

The interactions between layers of a multiplex network would generate new structural features, the most prominent feature being the existence of link overlaps between layers. How to capture the associations with the network behavior through the structural interaction between the combined layers of the multiplex network is a critical issue. In this paper, a new structure entropy is proposed by combining the overlapping links between the combined layers of a multiplex network. The correlation between layers is evaluated by structure entropy, and the results are consistent with the behaviors exhibited by the network. In addition, the validity and applicability of the proposed method were verified by conducting trials on four sets of real multiplex network data, which included the multiplex social network of a research department at Aarhus, tailor shop multiplex network, C. elegans multiplex network, and the network collected by Vickers from 29 seventh grade students in a school in Victoria.

Two-step seeding strategy in multiplex networks with inter-layer conversion cost of influence.

In this paper, we investigate the problem of influence seeding strategy in multilayer networks. In consideration of the fact that there exist inter-layer conversion costs associated with influence diffusion between layers in multiplex networks, a novel two-step seeding strategy is proposed to identify influential individuals in multiplex networks. The first step is to determine the target layer, and the second step is to identify the target seeds. Specifically, we first propose two comparable layer selection strategies, namely, multiplex betweenness centrality and multi-hop multiplex neighbors (MMNs), to determine the target layer of seeding diffusion and then construct a multiplex gravity centrality (MGC) in the manner of the gravity model to identify the influential seeds in the target layer. Subsequently, we employ a redefined independent cascade model to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed seeding strategy by comparing it with other commonly used centrality indicators, which is validated on both synthetic and real-world network datasets. The experimental results indicate that our proposed seeding strategy can obtain greater influence coverage. In addition, parameter analysis of a neighborhood range demonstrates that MMN-based target layer selection is relatively robust, and a smaller value of a neighborhood range can enable MGC to achieve better influence performance.

Quantifying layer similarity in multiplex networks: a systematic study.

Computing layer similarities is an important way of characterizing multiplex networks because various static properties and dynamic processes depend on the relationships between layers. We provide a taxonomy and experimental evaluation of approaches to compare layers in multiplex networks. Our taxonomy includes, systematizes and extends existing approaches, and is complemented by a set of practical guidelines on how to apply them.

Layer Communities in Multiplex Networks

Multiplex networks are a type of multilayer network in which entities are connected to each other via multiple types of connections. We propose a method, based on computing pairwise similarities between layers and then doing community detection, for grouping structurally similar layers in multiplex networks. We illustrate our approach using both synthetic and empirical networks, and we are able to find meaningful groups of layers in both cases. For example, we find that airlines that are based in similar geographic locations tend to be grouped together in a multiplex airline network and that related research areas in physics tend to be grouped together in a multiplex collaboration network.

Link prediction via layer relevance of multiplex networks

In complex networks, the existing link prediction methods primarily focus on the internal structural information derived from single-layer networks. However, the role of interlayer information is hardly recognized in multiplex networks, which provide more diverse structural features than single-layer networks. Actually, the structural properties and functions of one layer can affect that of other layers in multiplex networks. In this paper, the effect of interlayer structural properties on the link prediction performance is investigated in multiplex networks. By utilizing the intralayer and interlayer information, we propose a novel “Node Similarity Index” based on “Layer Relevance” (NSILR) of multiplex network for link prediction. The performance of NSILR index is validated on each layer of seven multiplex networks in real-world systems. Experimental results show that the NSILR index can significantly improve the prediction performance compared with the traditional methods, which only consider the intralayer information. Furthermore, the more relevant the layers are, the higher the performance is enhanced.

Measuring the dissimilarity of multiplex networks: An empirical study of international trade networks

Abstract In recent years, multiplex networks are becoming a research focus in the domain of complex networks. Discovering significant correlations between layers in multiplex networks can provide an insight to their structures. In this study, we propose some methods to measure the dissimilarities of different layers in directed and weighted multiplex networks. The dissimilarity is defined on two levels: node level and layer level. The node dissimilarity is computed based on the distance of the probability distribution of its link weights vectors in different layers; and the layer-level dissimilarity is the weighted sum of the nodes’ dissimilarities. Furthermore, the dissimilarity is disintegrated into the connection-based dissimilarity and the weight-based dissimilarity, which represent the topological structure changes and the link weight changes, respectively. The proposed methods are applied to international trade networks.

Measuring and modeling correlations in multiplex networks

The interactions among the elementary components of many complex systems can be qualitatively different. Such systems are therefore naturally described in terms of multiplex or multilayer networks, i.e., networks where each layer stands for a different type of interaction between the same set of nodes. There is today a growing interest in understanding when and why a description in terms of a multiplex network is necessary and more informative than a single-layer projection. Here we contribute to this debate by presenting a comprehensive study of correlations in multiplex networks. Correlations in node properties, especially degree-degree correlations, have been thoroughly studied in single-layer networks. Here we extend this idea to investigate and characterize correlations between the different layers of a multiplex network. Such correlations are intrinsically multiplex, and we first study them empirically by constructing and analyzing several multiplex networks from the real world. In particular, we introduce various measures to characterize correlations in the activity of the nodes and in their degree at the different layers and between activities and degrees. We show that real-world networks exhibit indeed nontrivial multiplex correlations. For instance, we find cases where two layers of the same multiplex network are positively correlated in terms of node degrees, while other two layers are negatively correlated. We then focus on constructing synthetic multiplex networks, proposing a series of models to reproduce the correlations observed empirically and/or to assess their relevance.

Reliable Task Allocation with Load Balancing in Multiplex Networks

In multiplex networks, agents are connected by multiple types of links; a multiplex network can be split into more than one network layer that is composed of the same type of links and involved agents. Each network link type has a bias for communicating different types of resources; thus, the task’s access to the required resources in multiplex networks is strongly related to the network link types. However, traditional task allocation and load balancing methods only considered the situations of agents themselves and did not address the effects of network link types in multiplex networks. To solve this problem, this article considers both link types and agents, and substantially extends the existing work by highlighting the effect of network layers on task allocation and load balancing. Two multiplex network-adapted models of task allocation with load balancing are presented: network layer-oriented allocation and agent-oriented allocation. This article also addresses the unreliability in multiplex networks, which includes the unreliable links and agents, and implements a reliable task allocation based on a negotiation reputation and reward mechanism. Our findings show that both of our presented models can effectively and robustly satisfy the task allocation objectives in unreliable multiplex networks; the experiments prove that they can significantly reduce the time costs and improve the success rate of tasks for multiplex networks over the traditional simplex network-adapted task allocation model. Lastly, we find that our presented network layer-oriented allocation performs much better in terms of reliability and allocation time compared to our presented agent-oriented allocation, which further explains the importance of network layers in multiplex networks.