Traffic-driven epidemic spreading in correlated networks
Abstract
In spite of the extensive previous efforts on traffic dynamics and epidemic spreading in complex networks, the problem of traffic-driven epidemic spreading on correlated networks has not been addressed. Interestingly, we find that the epidemic threshold, a fundamental quantity underlying the spreading dynamics, exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior in that it can be minimized for some critical value of the assortativity coefficient, a parameter characterizing the network correlation. To understand this phenomenon, we use the degree-based mean-field theory to calculate the traffic-driven epidemic threshold for correlated networks. The theory predicts that the threshold is inversely proportional to the packet-generation rate and the largest eigenvalue of the betweenness matrix. We obtain consistency between theory and numerics. Our results may provide insights into the important problem of controlling and/or harnessing real-world epidemic spreading dynamics driven by traffic flows.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review E
- Pub Date:
- June 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevE.91.062817
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1507.04554
- Bibcode:
- 2015PhRvE..91f2817Y
- Keywords:
-
- 89.75.Hc;
- 05.70.Ln;
- 05.60.-k;
- Networks and genealogical trees;
- Nonequilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics;
- Transport processes;
- Physics - Physics and Society;
- Computer Science - Social and Information Networks
- E-Print:
- 6 pagea, 6 gigures