Phase transitions and stability of dynamical processes on hypergraphs

Hypergraphs naturally represent higher-order interactions, which persistently appear in social interactions, neural networks, and other natural systems. Although their importance is well recognized, a theoretical framework to describe general dynamical processes on hypergraphs is not available yet. In this paper, we derive expressions for the stability of dynamical systems defined on an arbitrary hypergraph. The framework allows us to reveal that, near the fixed point, the relevant structure is a weighted graph-projection of the hypergraph and that it is possible to identify the role of each structural order for a given process. We analytically solve two dynamics of general interest, namely, social contagion and diffusion processes, and show that the stability conditions can be decoupled in structural and dynamical components. Our results show that in social contagion process, only pairwise interactions play a role in the stability of the absorbing state, while for the diffusion dynamics, the order of the interactions plays a differential role. Our work provides a general framework for further exploration of dynamical processes on hypergraphs. A general theory for dynamical processes in higher-order systems is still missing. Here, the authors provide a general mathematical framework based on linear stability analysis that allows to assess the stability of classes of processes on arbitrary hypergraphs.

Automated summary

This paper addresses the lack of a theoretical framework to describe general dynamical processes on hypergraphs by deriving expressions for the stability of dynamical systems defined on hypergraphs. The study reveals the relevance of weighted graph-projection structures near fixed points and the potential to identify the roles of structural orders in given processes. Analytical solutions for social contagion and diffusion processes show that stability conditions can be separated into structural and dynamical components, with different roles played by pairwise interactions and interaction orders.