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  • Open Access

Cross-order induced behaviors in contagion dynamics on higher-order networks

Kaloyan Danovski1, Sandro Meloni2,3,4, and Michele Starnini1,*

  • *Contact author: michele.starnini@upf.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 043010 – Published 5 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pngx-s5xx

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that novel collective behaviors emerge in complex systems due to higher-order interactions. However, the way in which the structural correlations of these interactions shape such behaviors remains a significant gap in current research. To address this, we use signatures of higher-order behaviors (HOBs) to identify the underlying dynamical rules, or higher-order mechanisms (HOMs). In this work, we compare several HOB measures derived from information theory. Utilizing a simplicial susceptible-infected-susceptible contagion model, we demonstrate that simpler, computationally efficient measures can serve as robust indicators of HOMs. We uncover the phenomenon of cross-order induced behaviors, where behavioral signatures emerge at interaction orders where no direct mechanism is present. Crucially, these cross-order HOBs are not simply induced by structural correlations—such as nestedness and hyperedge overlap—but they appear in the neighborhood of any HOM. Among the information-theoretic measures we tested, synergy is the most reliable indicator of the true order where the underlying mechanism is at play. These findings offer new insights into the relationship between the network structure and observed dynamics of higher-order systems.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 043010– Published 5 October, 2026
  • Received 3 March 2026
  • Accepted 14 August 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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