Triadic Approximation Reveals the Role of Interaction Overlap on the Spread of Complex Contagions on Higher-Order Networks

Identifier:  imarina:9381079

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9381079

Authors:  Burgio, Giulio; Gomez, Sergio; Arenas, Alex

Abstract:
Contagion processes relying on the exposure to multiple sources are prevalent in social systems, and are effectively represented by hypergraphs. In this Letter, we derive a mean -field model that goes beyond nodeand pair -based approximations. We reveal how the stability of the contagion -free state is decided by either two- or three -body interactions, and how this is strictly related to the degree of overlap between these interactions. Our findings demonstrate the dual effect of increased overlap: it lowers the invasion threshold, yet produces smaller outbreaks. Corroborated by numerical simulations, our results emphasize the significance of the chosen representation in describing a higher -order process.