Time-delayed feedback control of dynamical small-world networks at Hopf bifurcation

We show that time-delayed feedback methods, which have successfully been used to control unstable steady states or periodic orbits, provide a tool to control Hopf bifurcation for a small-world network model with nonlinear interactions and time delays. We choose the interaction strength parameter as a bifurcation parameter. Without control, bifurcation will occur early; meanwhile, the model can maintain a stationary total influenced volume only in a certain domain of the interaction strength parameter. However, outside of this domain the model still possesses a stable total influenced volume that can be guaranteed by delayed feedback perturbation, and the onset of the Hopf bifurcation is postponed. The feedback perturbation vanishes if the stabilization is successful and thus the domain of stability can be extended under only small control force. We present an analytical investigation of the feedback scheme using characteristic equation and discuss effects of both a low-pass filter included in the control loop and nonzero latency times associated with generation and injection of the feedback signal.