Large coupled oscillator systems with heterogeneous interaction delays

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Jul 24;103(4):044101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.044101. Epub 2009 Jul 22.

Abstract

In order to discover generic effects of heterogeneous communication delays on the dynamics of large systems of coupled oscillators, this Letter studies a modification of the Kuramoto model incorporating a distribution of interaction delays. Corresponding to the case of a large number N of oscillators, we consider the continuum limit (i.e., N --> infinity). By focusing attention on the reduced dynamics on an invariant manifold of the original system, we derive governing equations for the system which we use to study the stability of the incoherent states and the dynamical transitional behavior from stable incoherent states to stable coherent states. We find that spread in the distribution function of delays can greatly alter the system dynamics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Clocks
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Periodicity*
  • Time Factors