Network Observability Transitions

Abstract

In the modeling, monitoring, and control of complex networks, a fundamental problem concerns the comprehensive determination of the state of the system from limited measurements. Using power grids as example networks, we show that this problem leads to a new type of percolation transition, here termed a {\it network observability transition}, which we solve analytically for the configuration model. We also demonstrate a dual role of the network's community structure, which both facilitates optimal measurement placement and renders the networks substantially more sensitive to `observability attacks'. Aside from their immediate implications for the development of smart grids, these results provide insights into decentralized biological, social, and technological networks.

References in corpus (3)

• Critical phenomena in complex networks
• Robustness of the European power grids under intentional attack
• Networks in Motion

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Statistical Mechanics of the Minimum Dominating Set Problem
• Building Damage-Resilient Dominating Sets in Complex Networks against Random and Targeted Attacks
• Dominating Scale-Free Networks Using Generalized Probabilistic Methods
• Minimal Dominating Set problem studied by simulated annealing and cavity method: Analytics and population dynamics
• Observability transition in real networks