Effects of time-delays in the dynamics of social contagions. (24th January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Wei; Stanley, H Eugene; Braunstein, Lidia A
• Is Part Of: New journal of physics. Volume 20:Number 1(2018:Jan.)
• Publication Date: 2018-01-24
• Subjects: complex networks -- social contagions -- spreading dynamics; 89.75.Hc -- 87.19.X- -- 87.23.Ge; Physics -- Periodicals; Physics; Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aa9fc8
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2630

Abstract

Abstract: Time-delays are pervasive in such real-world complex networks as social contagions and biological systems, and they radically alter the evolution of the dynamic processes in networks. We use a non-Markovian spreading threshold model to study the effects of time-delays on social contagions. Using extensive numerical simulations and theoretical analyses we find that relatively long time-delays induce a microtransition in the evolution of a fraction of recovered individuals, i.e., the fraction of recovered individuals versus time exhibits multiple phase transitions. The microtransition is sharper and more obvious when high-degree individuals have a higher probability of experiencing time-delays, and the microtransition is obscure when the time-delay distribution reaches heterogeneity. We use an edge-based compartmental theory to analyze our research and find that the theoretical results agree well with our numerical simulation results.