Threshold cascade dynamics on signed random networks

Abstract

Relationships between individuals in a social network, genes in biological systems, and spins in magnetic systems often reflect a mixture of positive (friendly) and negative (antagonistic) interactions. However, most studies of complex networks have focused on networks consisting of solely positive interactions. Here, we study threshold cascades on signed networks composed of both positive and negative connections, focusing on when a pair of nodes connected by a negative link can only be activated exclusively to each other. We found that the negative interactions not only suppress global cascades, but also induce the heterogeneity in activation patterns manifesting from single-node to network levels. Our results suggest that negative interactions may be an important source of the variability in cascading dynamics.