Structural balance: a dynamic perspective

The paper presents results derived from a series of simulations of signed networks (i.e., networks containing positive and negative links) subject to a balancing process. The dynamics are followed in a space defined by variations in the proportion of positive links introduced and the tolerance to imbalance. The authors claim to have discovered boundaries in the space separating it into three distinct regions. One region probably displays the characteristics of self-organized criticality, which may have implications for the theory of extreme events.