The linearity of the master stability function

Abstract

Abstract The master stability function (MSF) is an approach to evaluate the local stability of the synchronization in coupled oscillators. Computing the MSF of a network according to its parameters results in a curve whose shape is dependent on the nodes’ dynamics, network topology, coupling function, and coupling strength. This paper calculates the MSF of networks of two diffusively coupled oscillators by considering different single variable and multi-variable couplings. Then, the linearity of the MSF is investigated by fitting a straight line to the MSF curve, and the root mean square error is obtained. It is observed that the multi-variable coupling with equal coefficients on all variables results in a linear MSF regardless of the dynamics of the nodes.