title: Hub synchronization in scale-free networks.
abstract: Heterogeneity in the degree distribution is known to suppress global synchronization in complex networks of symmetrically coupled oscillators. Scale-free networks display a great deal of heterogeneity, containing a few nodes, termed hubs, that are highly connected, while most nodes receive only a few connections. Here, we show that a group of synchronized nodes may appear in scale-free networks: hubs undergo a transition to synchronization while the other nodes remain unsynchronized. This general phenomenon can occur even in the absence of global synchronization. Our results suggest that scale-free networks may have evolved to complement various levels of synchronization.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210-170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics