Phase locking and multistability in the topological Kuramoto model on cell complexes

Abstract Higher-order interactions fundamentally shape collective dynamics in oscillator networks. The topological Kuramoto model captures these effects by extending synchronization models to include interactions between cells of arbitrary dimension within simplicial and cell complexes. We introduce the topological nonlinear Kirchhoff conditions to characterize all phase-locked states of the topological Kuramoto model. These states are organized by winding numbers associated with generalized independent cycles, which quantify how phases wind around these cycles. Using rings, Platonic solids, and regular simplices as illustrative examples, we uncover a universal rule: boundaries must have at least five elements for multistability to arise. We further find that independent winding numbers associated with lower- and higher-dimensional boundaries generate cascades of multistability across dimensions. These results show how the topology and boundary structure of cell complexes influence phase locking and multistability, and provide a general framework for collective dynamics on cell complexes.