Network synchronizability enhancement via adding antagonistic interactions

Abstract We discover a “less-is-more” effect that adding local antagonistic interactions (negative edge weights) can enhance the overall synchronizability of a dynamical network system. To explain this seemingly counterintuitive phenomenon, a condition is established to identify those edges the weight reduction of which improves the synchronizability index of the underlying network. We further reveal that this condition can be interpreted from the perspective of resistance distance and network community structure. The obtained result is also verified via numerical experiments on a 14-node network and a 118-node network. Our finding brings new thoughts and inspirations to the future directions of optimal network design problems.