General theory for extended-range percolation on simple and multiplex networks

Extended-range percolation is a robust percolation process that has relevance for quantum communication problems. In extended-range percolation nodes can be trusted or untrusted. Untrusted facilitator nodes are untrusted nodes that can still allow communication between trusted nodes if they lie on a path of distance at most 𝑅 between two trusted nodes. In extended-range percolation the extended-range giant component (ERGC) includes trusted nodes connected by paths of trusted and untrusted facilitator nodes. Here, based on a message-passing algorithm, we develop a general theory of extended-range percolation, valid for arbitrary values of 𝑅 as long as the networks are locally treelike. This general framework allows us to investigate the properties of extended-range percolation on interdependent multiplex networks. While the extended-range nature makes multiplex networks more robust, interdependency makes them more fragile. From the interplay between these two effects a rich phase diagram emerges including discontinuous phase transitions and reentrant phases. The theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The proposed exactly solvable model constitutes a fundamental reference for the study of models defined through properties of extended-range paths.