Related papers: Symmetry breaking in minimum dissipation networks
The connection between dissipation and symmetry breaking is a long-standing enigma in statistical physics. It is intimately connected to the quest of a non-equilibrium functional whose minimization gives the non-equilibrium steady state…
Shifting our electricity generation from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources introduces large fluctuations to the power system. Here, we demonstrate how increased fluctuations, reduced damping and reduced intertia may undermine the…
Network theory is rapidly changing our understanding of complex systems, but the relevance of topological features for the dynamic behavior of metabolic networks, food webs, production systems, information networks, or cascade failures of…
Transients are fundamental to ecological systems with significant implications to management, conservation, and biological control. We uncover a type of transient synchronization behavior in spatial ecological networks whose local dynamics…
Network flows often exhibit a hierarchical tree-like structure that can be attributed to the minimisation of dissipation. The common feature of such systems is a single source and multiple sinks (or vice versa). In contrast, here we study…
Behavioral homogeneity is often critical for the functioning of network systems of interacting entities. In power grids, whose stable operation requires generator frequencies to be synchronized--and thus homogeneous--across the network,…
We have revealed general physical conditions for the {\it maximization} of the network throughput at which free flow conditions are ensured, i.e., traffic breakdown cannot occur in the whole traffic or transportation network. A physical…
We introduce a model for the dynamic self-organization of the electric grid. The model is characterized by a conserved magnitude, energy, that can travel following the links of the network to satisfy nodes' load. The load fluctuates in time…
Vascular networks are used across the kingdoms of life to transport fluids, nutrients and cellular material. A popular unifying idea for understanding the diversity and constraints of these networks is that the conduits making up the…
Spontaneous symmetry breaking plays a fundamental role in many areas of condensed matter and particle physics. A fundamental problem in ecology is the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for biodiversity and stability. Neutral theory,…
Natural and artificial networks, from the cerebral cortex to large-scale power grids, face the challenge of converting noisy inputs into robust signals. The input fluctuations often exhibit complex yet statistically reproducible…
Leaf venation is a pervasive example of a complex biological network, endowing leaves with a transport system and mechanical resilience. Transport networks optimized for efficiency have been shown to be trees, i.e. loopless. However,…
Optimizing the energy efficiency of driving processes provides valuable insights into the underlying physics and is of crucial importance for numerous applications, from biological processes to the design of machines and robots. Knowledge…
Synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators is known to be largely determined by the spectral and symmetry properties of the interaction network. Here we leverage this relation to study a class of networks for which the threshold…
Maximizing robustness and minimizing cost are common objectives in the design of infrastructure networks. However, most infrastructure networks evolve and operate in a highly decentralized fashion, which may significantly impact the…
A simple two-species asymmetric exclusion model in one dimension with bulk and boundary exchanges of particles is investigated for the existence of spontaneous symmetry breaking. The model is a generalization of the bridge model for which…
Symmetry-breaking instabilities play an important role in understanding the mechanisms underlying the diversity of patterns observed in nature, such as in Turing's reaction--diffusion theory, which connects cellular signalling and transport…
Most natural thermodynamic systems operate far from equilibrium, developing persistent currents and organizing into non-equilibrium stationary states (NESSs). Yet, the principles by which such systems self-organize, breaking equilibrium…
We present an analysis of the topologies of a class of networks which are optimal in terms of the requirements of having as short a route as possible between any two nodes while yet keeping the congestion in the network as low as possible.…
80% of all Renewable Energy Power in Germany is installed in tree-like distribution grids. Intermittent power fluctuations from such sources introduce new dynamics into the lower grid layers. At the same time, distributed resources will…