How synchronized human networks escape local minima.

Finding the global minimum in complex networks while avoiding local minima is challenging in many types of networks. In human networks and communities, adapting and finding new stable states amid changing conditions due to conflicts, climate changes, or disasters, is crucial. We studied the dynamics of complex networks of violin players and observed that such human networks have different methods to avoid local minima than other non-human networks. Humans can change the coupling strength between them or change their tempo. This leads to different dynamics than other networks and makes human networks more robust and better resilient against perturbations. We observed high-order vortex states, oscillation death, and amplitude death, due to the unique dynamics of the network. This research may have implications in politics, economics, pandemic control, decision-making, and predicting the dynamics of networks with artificial intelligence. Human networks can demonstrate more rich dynamics and different mechanisms of self-organization compared to other types of networks. Considering an example of violin player ensemble, the authors show that by self-tuning tempo, amplitude, and coupling strength between players, their network achieves stability and synchronization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]