Optimizing robustness of complex networks with heterogeneous node functions based on the Memetic Algorithm

Cascading failure is an ubiquitous phenomenon in many types of complex networks, and it has attracted significant concerns in the past decade. In this paper, we consider a generic transmission network consisting of two kinds of nodes, i.e., hosts and routers, and only the hosts can generate and receive packets. In such a host-router network model, the network robustness against cascading failure is closely related to the hosts' locations. We employ the memetic algorithm (MA) to find a near-optimal way to locate the hosts, which remarkably improves the network robustness compared with three degree-based methods. Furthermore, we investigate the optimal configuration of the hosts given by the MA algorithm and put forward a faster method to select the hosts. This work provides a start point for systematically analyzing and optimizing network robustness of complex networks with heterogeneous node functions.