Evolution of microscopic and mesoscopic synchronized patterns in complex networks

Previous studies about synchronization of Kuramoto oscillators in complex networks have shown how local patterns of synchronization emerge differently in homogeneous and heterogeneous topologies. The main difference between the paths to synchronization in both topologies is rooted in the growth of the largest connected component of synchronized nodes when increasing the coupling between the oscillators. Nevertheless, a recent study focusing on this same phenomenon has claimed the contrary, stating that the statistical distribution of synchronized clusters for both types of networks is similar. Here we provide extensive numerical evidences that confirm the original claims, namely, that the microscopic and mesoscopic dynamics of the synchronized patterns indeed follow different routes. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3532801]