Explosive death in coupled oscillators with higher-order interactions

Abstract

We investigate the dynamical evolution of globally connected Stuart-Landau oscillators coupled through conjugate or dis-similar variables on simplicial complexes. We report a first-order explosive phase transition from oscillatory state to death state, with 2-simplex (triadic) interactions, as opposed to the second-order transition with only 1-simplex (dyadic) interactions. Moreover, the system displays four distinct homogeneous steady states in the presence of triadic interactions, in contrast to the two homogeneous steady states observed with dyadic interactions. We calculate the backward transition point analytically, confirming the numerical results and providing the origin of the dynamical states in the transition region. The study will be useful in understanding complex systems, such as ecological and epidemiological, having higher-order interactions and coupling through conjugate variables.