Title: Robustness of complex networks considering load and cascading failure under edge-removal attack

Authors: Peng Geng; Zixin Ye; Huizhen Hao; Annan Yang; Yan Liu

Addresses: School of Information and Communication Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China ' School of Information and Communication Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China ' School of Information and Communication Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China ' School of Communication Engineering, Tongda College of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Yangzhou 225127, China ' School of Mathematics and Physics, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China

Abstract: This article challenges the conventional wisdom that edges with larger degrees are more important in complex networks. Through simulation analysis on the BA scale-free and WS small-world networks, we investigate edge-removal attack strategies, taking into account edge load and cascading failure. Specific attacks include high load edge-removal attacks (HLEA) and low load edge-removal attacks (LLEA). Our results demonstrate that the importance of edges is closely tied to the load parameter δ. When 0 < δ < 1, attacking edges with smaller degrees leads to greater cascading failures, rendering low-degree edges more important under these conditions. Conversely, when δ > 1, high-degree edges are more critical due to their ability to cause greater cascading failure upon removal. When δ = 1, cascading failure becomes independent of the degree of the removed edge. These findings underscore the need for considering edge loads and specific network conditions when assessing the importance of edges in complex networks.

Keywords: complex networks; edge load; cascading failure; edge-removal attack; high load edge-removal attacks; HLEA; low load edge-removal attacks; LLEA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCNDS.2024.140674

International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 2024 Vol.30 No.5, pp.572 - 593

Received: 09 Jun 2023
Accepted: 05 Jul 2023
Published online: 30 Aug 2024 *

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