Disorder-Induced Dynamics in Complex Networks

Disorder in parameters appears to influence the collective behavior of complex adaptive networks in ways that might seem unconventional. For instance, heterogeneities may, unexpectedly, lead to enhanced regions of existence of stable synchronization states. This behavior is unexpected because synchronization appears, generically, in symmetric networks with homogeneous components. Related works have, however, misidentified cases where disorder seems to play a critical role in enhancing synchronization, where it is actually not the case. Thus, in order to clarify the role of disorder in adaptive networks, we use normal forms to study, mathematically, when and how the presence of disorder can facilitate the emergence of collective patterns. We employ parameter symmetry breaking to study the interplay between disorder and the underlying bifurcations that determine the conditions for the existence and stability of collective behavior. This work provides a rigorous justification for a certain barycentric condition to be imposed on the heterogeneity of the parameters while studying the synchronization state. Theoretical results are accompanied by numerical simulations, which help clarify incorrect claims of disorder purportedly enhancing synchronization states.