Tabu Search enhances network robustness under targeted attacks

• The problem of improving the robustness of complex networks is concerned.
• An optimization model is established to maximize the robustness measure RR.
• An efficient optimization method based on Tabu Search is provided.
• Numerical simulation results verify the effectiveness of proposed algorithm.

We focus on the optimization of network robustness with respect to intentional attacks on high-degree nodes. Given an existing network, this problem can be considered as a typical single-objective combinatorial optimization problem. Based on the heuristic Tabu Search optimization algorithm, a link-rewiring method is applied to reconstruct the network while keeping the degree of every node unchanged. Through numerical simulations, BA scale-free network and two real-world networks are investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed optimization method. Meanwhile, we analyze how the optimization affects other topological properties of the networks, including natural connectivity, clustering coefficient and degree–degree correlation. The current results can help to improve the robustness of existing complex real-world systems, as well as to provide some insights into the design of robust networks.