Synchronization and Hopf Bifurcation in Stuart--Landau Networks

Abstract: The Kuramoto model has shaped our understanding of synchronization in complex systems, yet its phase-only formulation neglects amplitude dynamics that are intrinsic to many oscillatory networks. In this work, we revisit Kuramoto-type synchronization through networks of Stuart--Landau oscillators, which arise as the universal normal form near a Hopf bifurcation. For identical natural frequencies, we analyze synchronization in two complementary regimes. Away from criticality, we establish topology-robust complete synchronization for general connected networks under explicit sufficient conditions that preclude amplitude death. At criticality, we exploit network symmetries to analyze the onset of collective oscillations via Hopf bifurcation theory, demonstrating the emergence of synchronized periodic states in ring-symmetric networks. Our results clarify how amplitude dynamics enrich the structure of synchronized states and provide a bridge between classical Kuramoto synchronization and amplitude-inclusive models in complex networks.