Incoprea Theory
Vol. XXXI · 129

Theory 49/Networks grow more robust with size

Size Concentrates Risk

The claim

Larger networks are more robust to random failure and more fragile to targeted failure, so size trades one for the other.

01Mechanism

Scale increases the number of paths and the importance of hubs simultaneously.

02Prediction

Targeted failure damage should rise with size.

03Refutation

Uniform robustness with size would remove the trade.