Degree-biased advection–diffusion on undirected graphs/networks

Abstract

There are several phenomena in nature governed by simultaneous or intermittent diffusion and advection processes. Many of these systems are networked by their own nature. Here we propose a degree-biased advection processes to undirected networks. For that purpose we define and study the degree-biased advection operator. We then develop a degree-biased advection-diffusion equation on networks and study its general properties. We give computational evidence of the utility of this new model by studying artificial graphs as well as a real-life patched landscape network in southern Madagascar. In the last case we show that the foraging movement of the speciesL. cattain this environment occurs mainly in a diffusive way with important contributions of advective motions in agreement with previous empirical observations.