Instability of scale-free networks under node-breaking avalanches

¹ The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics Condensed Matter Group - P.O. Box 586, Trieste, I-34014, Italy
² Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza - 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

Corresponding author: yamir@ictp.trieste.it

Received: 15 October 2001
Accepted: 26 February 2002

Abstract

The instability introduced in a large scale-free network by the triggering of node-breaking avalanches is analyzed using the fiber-bundle model as conceptual framework. We found, by measuring the size of the giant component, the avalanche size distribution and other quantities, the existence of an abrupt transition. This test of strength for complex networks like Internet is more stringent than others recently considered like the random removal of nodes, analyzed within the framework of percolation theory. Finally, we discuss the possible implications of our results and their relevance in forecasting cascading failures in scale-free networks.