NODE (Critical)
Charles François (2004). NODE (Critical), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 2292.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2292 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
A node whose suppression in a network impairs its functionality.
Impairment can be partial or complete, temporary or definitive. Generally, substracting (or adding) a node in a network may implicitly affect the whole network, but not necessarily in a critical way. Three main possibilities exist:
- The change produces the network's destruction;
- A progressive damping absorbes the modification;
- the change triggers the emergence of a network on a higher level of complexity
Redundancy in the network may allow for its sufficient reorganization in case of partial destruction. Examples are the spontaneous reordering of the brain after a non-fatal cerebral haemorrhage, or of a military unit after a rout.