Competitive information propagation considering local-global prevalence on multi-layer interconnected networks

Abstract

The popularity of online social networks (OSNs) promotes the co-propagation of multiple types of information. And there exist inevitably competitive interactions between these information, which will significantly affect the spreading trend of each information. Besides, the coupled topology of multi-layer interconnects exhibited in OSNs will also increase the research complexity of information propagation dynamics. To effectively address these challenges, we propose a novel competitive information propagation model on multi-layer interconnected networks, where the tendency of an individual to become a positive or negative spreader depends on the weighted consideration of local and global prevalence. Then the basic reproduction number is calculated via next-generation matrix method. And under the critical conditions of the basic reproduction number, the asymptotic stability of information-free and information-endemic equilibria is theoretically proven through Lyapunov stability theory. Besides, an optimal control problem involving two heterogeneous controls is formulated, aiming at achieving the best suppression performance of negative information with the minimum control cost. According to Cesari theorem and Pontryagin minimum principle, the existence and analytical formulation of optimal solutions are derived. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to prove the correctness of our theoretical results, and evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed control strategies. This study can provide useful insights into the modeling and control of multiple information propagation considering multi-layer network topology and individual adaptive behavior.