The Kuramoto model on power law graphs

Abstract: The Kuramoto model (KM) of coupled phase oscillators on scale free graphs is analyzed in this work. The W-random graph model is used to define a convergent family of sparse graphs with power law degree distribution. For the KM on this family of graphs, we derive the mean field description of the system's dynamics in the limit as the size of the network tends to infinity. The mean field equation is used to study two problems: synchronization in the coupled system with randomly distributed intrinsic frequencies and existence and bifurcations of chimera states in the KM with repulsive coupling. The analysis of both problems highlights the role of the scale free network organization in shaping dynamics of the coupled system. The analytical results are complemented with the results of numerical simulations.