Modularity and the spread of perturbations in complex dynamical systems.

ABSTRACT: We propose a method to decompose dynamical systems based on the idea that modules constrain the spread of perturbations. We find partitions of system variables that maximize "perturbation modularity," defined as the autocovariance of coarse-grained perturbed trajectories. The measure effectively separates the fast intramodular from the slow intermodular dynamics of perturbation spreading (in this respect, it is a generalization of the "Markov stability" method of network community detection). Our approach captures variation of modular organization across different system states, time scales, and in response to different kinds of perturbations: aspects of modularity which are all relevant to real-world dynamical systems. It offers a principled alternative to detecting communities in network

SUBMITTER: Kolchinsky A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7869827 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature