Looplessness in networks is linked to trophic coherence

DOI10.1073/PNAS.1613786114zbMATH Open1404.81046arXiv1505.07332OpenAlexW2615557841WikidataQ44872018 ScholiaQ44872018MaRDI QIDQ4646181FDOQ4646181

Authors:

Publication date: 11 January 2019

Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Many natural, complex systems are remarkably stable thanks to an absence of feedback acting on their elements. When described as networks, these exhibit few or no cycles, and associated matrices have small leading eigenvalues. It has been suggested that this architecture can confer advantages to the system as a whole, such as `qualitative stability', but this observation does not in itself explain how a loopless structure might arise. We show here that the number of feedback loops in a network, as well as the eigenvalues of associated matrices, are determined by a structural property called trophic coherence, a measure of how neatly nodes fall into distinct levels. Our theory correctly classifies a variety of networks -- including those derived from genes, metabolites, species, neurons, words, computers and trading nations -- into two distinct regimes of high and low feedback, and provides a null model to gauge the significance of related magnitudes. Since trophic coherence suppresses feedback, whereas an absence of feedback alone does not lead to coherence, our work suggests that the reasons for `looplessness' in nature should be sought in coherence-inducing mechanisms.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.07332

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum coherence, entanglement, quantum correlations (81P40)

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