Cascading failure of complex networks under degree-based attack

This paper summarises the research status of cascading failure in communication networks, power grids and independent networks. Considering the load and capacity of nodes, a cascading failure model of complex networks for degree-based attack is established. In this model, a new measurement method is proposed. This method is a normalised index to measure the impact of cascading failure, which is used to study the global consequences of different types of node failure. By attacking the nodes with higher and lower degree values, the effects of higher-degree-based attack strategy and lower-degree-based attack strategy on network robustness are discussed. The simulations show that when certain conditions are met, attacking nodes with a lower degree (lower-degree-based attack) can cause greater damage. This result breaks the conventional thinking and provides a reference for the protection of important nodes in the real complex networks.