Optimizing complex networks for resilience against cascading failure

Our modern society has come to depend on large-scale infrastructure networks to deliver resources to our homes and businesses in an efficient manner. Over the past 10 years there have been numerous examples where a local disturbance has lead to the global failure of systems. In this paper, we use an evolutionary algorithm to evolve complex networks that are resilient to such cascading failure. We then analyze these networks for topological regularities that explain the source of such resilience. The analysis reveals that clustering, modularity and long path lengths all play an important part in the design of robust large-scale infrastructure. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.