Analysis of cut vertex in the control of complex networks

Abstract

The control of complex networks is affected by their structural characteristic. As a type of key nodes in a network structure, cut vertexes are essential for network connectivity because their removal will disconnect the network. Despite their fundamental importance, the influence of the cut vertexes on network control is still uncertain. Here, we reveal the relationship between the cut vertexes and the driver nodes, and find that the driver nodes tend to avoid the cut vertexes. However, driving cut vertexes reduce the energy required for controlling complex networks, since cut vertexes are located near the middle of the control chains. By employing three different node failure strategies, we investigate the impact of cut vertexes failure on the energy required. The results show that cut vertex failures markedly increase the control energy because the cut vertexes are larger-degree nodes. Our results deepen the understanding of the structural characteristic in network control.