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Contagion Dynamics in Complex Networks

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Automata and Complexity

Part of the book series: Emergence, Complexity and Computation ((ECC,volume 42))

Abstract

Models of spreading processes in networks can help to provide insights into phenomena such as epidemic outbreaks, opinion formation, and failure propagation. Many contagion models are based on the idea that spreading occurs from an “infected” source to “non-infected” components, which may recover. In the case of social opinion formation, external factors such as media influence have to be taken into account, and in some cases multiple infectious sources are necessary to sustain spreading (complex contagion). In this chapter, I provide a brief overview of common models of contagious processes and show that many of them can be treated as special cases of a general contagion model. Interestingly, despite its general formulation, the stationary behavior of the model is characterized by only three distinct classes. As an application of the general contagion model, I discuss its ability to describe activist-voter interactions in election campaigns.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges financial support from the Swiss National Fund grant Multispecies interacting stochastic systems in biology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Adickesallee 32-34, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Lucas Böttcher

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  1. Lucas Böttcher
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Correspondence to Lucas Böttcher .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Andrew Adamatzky

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Böttcher, L. (2022). Contagion Dynamics in Complex Networks. In: Adamatzky, A. (eds) Automata and Complexity. Emergence, Complexity and Computation, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92551-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92551-2_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-92550-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-92551-2

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