Impact of peer pressure on higher-order network dynamics

What roles do low-order and higher-order interactions play in network propagation dynamics? This challenging and underexplored question is explored in this study. From the perspective of peer pressure, a new propagation model, SILIHS, is proposed to reveal the impact of low-order and higher-order interactions on propagation dynamics. Experiments demonstrate the three-stage characteristic of pairwise interactions and the two-stage characteristic of collective interactions. The model’s validity is verified through comparisons with real-world data. Based on propagation experiments with blocking at specific infection densities, the results show that low-order propagation is the primary pathway, while higher-order propagation serves as a supplementary pathway. Additionally, by applying the mean-field method, the study reveals that the introduction of higher-order structures leads to a bistable region and a reduction in the threshold. Notably, the enhancement of higher-order effects is positively correlated with the expansion of the bistable region and the lowering of the threshold. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how low-order and higher-order interactions affect network propagation and provides practical insights for optimizing advertising strategies in commercial marketing.