Double explosive transitions in adaptive multilayer networks with higher-order interactions

Abstract

Can asymmetry between two interacting networks fundamentally change how they synchronize? We identify double explosive transitions in the forward direction, backward direction, or a combination thereof, with single or double hysteresis loops in an adaptive bilayer multiplex network of Kuramoto oscillators with pairwise and three-body interactions and asymmetric phase lags. Using the Ott-Antonsen reduction, we derive a low-dimensional system and perform a stability analysis. The reduced model accurately captures the full microscopic dynamics and enables analytical expressions for the bifurcation points. Systematic mapping across multiple parameter planes reveals eight distinct synchronization regimes. The relative ordering of saddle-node and pitchfork bifurcation points---controlled by phase-lag asymmetry, cross-layer adaptation, and the higher-order interaction strength---creates two distinct coherent branches (weak and strong), giving rise to double explosive transitions. Crucially, phase-lag asymmetry acts as a robust control knob: while symmetric phase lags suppress explosive transitions, layer-specific differences promote multistability and double explosive transitions. The higher-order interaction strength $K_2$ and adaptation strengths $q$, $p$, and $h$ further modulate these transitions in a complex, parameter-dependent manner. Excellent agreement between analytical predictions and numerical simulations confirms the robustness of our reduced description.