Overlap and topology shape synergy in collective knowledge integration

Abstract

Collective discovery often requires the integration of partially overlapping knowledge, yet the beneficial level of overlap and the role of background topology remain unclear. We model individual knowledge as connected subnetworks of a common knowledge space and distinguish internal synergy, in which integration shortens paths between concepts, from external synergy, in which an unknown concept connects to the shared and all individual-specific regions. Internal synergy peaked at intermediate overlap across random, scale-free, modular, and small-world backgrounds, reflecting a balance between complementarity and common ground. External synergy was strongly topology dependent and was most pronounced when small-world structure maintained overlapping local boundaries. Rewiring separated the total supply of synergistic nodes from their concentration at the accessible boundary; moderate rewiring could increase structural opportunities while dispersing them among more external alternatives and reducing their discovery. Group-size effects on internal synergy depended on topology, whereas strict higher-order external synergy declined as its all-region criterion became more restrictive. Collective discovery therefore depends jointly on knowledge overlap and on how complementary knowledge regions are organized within the surrounding knowledge space.