Evolutionary dynamic of the coupled awareness-epidemic networks with higher-order structure

Mitigating epidemic spreading and outbreaks is crucial to reducing their significant impacts on people’s lives. Although research has begun to consider the impact of information networks on disease transmission in recent years, most studies have not fully considered the high-order characteristics in network structures. To better capture the dynamics of epidemic spreading and comprehensively understand and predict epidemic transmission patterns, a model of epidemic spreading in a coupled awareness-epidemic model, considering higher-order structures, is proposed. Extensive simulations on real and synthetic structured networks show that information networks influence the spread on physical contact networks by altering individual behaviors, leading to a transition from bistability to a single stable state induced by higher-order structures. Through theoretical analysis, it is proved that the corresponding conclusion is that as the information influence value (an indicator that measures the impact of information networks on physical contact networks) decreases, the impact of higher-order structures on the system’s dynamic behavior gradually weakens. This leads to the disappearance of the bistable phenomenon originally caused by the presence of higher-order structures, and the system transitions from a bistable state to a single stable state. This transition is accompanied by an increase in the threshold for epidemic outbreaks and a decrease in the stable infection density. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the influence of information on epidemic dynamics, providing important theoretical guidance for the future development of more effective prevention and control strategies.