Impulse-Induced Optimum Signal Amplification in Scale-Free Networks

Optimizing information transmission across a network is an essential task for controlling and manipulating generic information-processing systems. Here, we show how topological amplification effects in scale-free networks of signaling devices are optimally enhanced when the $\it{impulse}$ transmitted by periodic external signals (time integral over two consecutive zeros) is maximum. This is demonstrated theoretically by means of a star-like network of overdamped bistable systems subjected to $\it{generic}$ zero-mean periodic signals, and confirmed numerically by simulations of scale-free networks of such systems. Our results show that the enhancer effect of increasing values of the signal's impulse is due to a correlative increase of the energy transmitted by the periodic signals, while it is found to be resonant-like with respect to the topology-induced amplification mechanism.