Cascade dynamics on complex networks
J. Gleeson (University of Limerick, Republic of Ireland)
Network models underlie many complex systems, e.g. the Internet, the World Wide Web, gene-regulatory networks, etc. In this talk I focus on Watts’ 2002 model for cascades on random networks. Originally introduced as a sociological model for the spread of cultural fads and the diffusion of innovations, Watts’ dynamics are easily generalized to include percolation problems and the study of (SIR-type) epidemics on networks. Using this model, I present recent results on the analytic determination of the expected size of cascades on networks of arbitrary degree distribution, and outline extensions and applications of this research.