A colored mean-field model for analyzing the effects of awareness on epidemic spreading in multiplex networks

Abstract

We study the impact of susceptible nodes' awareness on epidemic spreading in social systems, where the systems are modelled as multiplex networks coupled with an information layer and a contact layer. We develop a colored heterogeneous mean-field model taking into account the portion of the overlapping neighbors in the two layers. With theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we derive the epidemic threshold which determines whether the epidemic can prevail in the population, and find that the impacts of awareness on threshold value only depends on epidemic information being available in network nodes' overlapping neighborhood. When there is not any link overlap between the two network layers, the awareness cannot help to raise the epidemic threshold. Such an observation is different from that in a single-layer network, where the existence of awareness almost always helps.

Modeling the competitive diffusions of rumor and knowledge and the impacts on epidemic spreading

“…The network structure highly affects the outbreak size and threshold of the spreading dynamics [60] , [61] . In a two-layer network, the overlap of the two layers is also important for the spreading dynamics [37] . This research assumes that the communication-layer network is an extension of the contact-layer network.…”

“…considered a case that the links in the two layers are uncorrelated [27] . Some other researches proposed a coefficient to denote the overlap (or correlation) of links in the two layers [30] , [37] . In this research, we propose a different overlapping method 1 .…”

Interacting Spreading Processes in Multilayer Networks: A Systematic Review

“…Also, two competing viruses [66] [70] [67] and coupling between both diffusion processes [73] were analysed. [71]. Apart from generalised models they focus on awareness cascades [112] and global awareness [106].…”

“…In such a case, the disease, as long as its infection rate is below threshold, can be completely stopped. The importance of the local risk of infection information received from neighbours in information layer that reduces the node susceptibility in contact layer was also investigated and emphasized in [71]. Authors introduce the individual awareness element (dependent on the number of infected nodes) that is able to change the infection rate.…”

Social Contagions with Feature of Differential Choice on Dual Network

“…Therefore, scholars began to consider the modeling of information transmission based on multiplex network. The current research on information transmission in multiplex network mainly focuses on information-infectious diseases [1,2]. For example, by applying the micro-Markov chain method, literature [3] has proved that the diffusion of aware can control the outbreak of infectious diseases.…”