The critical load of scale-free fault-tolerant topology in wireless sensor networks for cascading failures

Considering the cascading failures of scale-free fault-tolerant topology in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), based on the power function of load and the fixed capacity, a new load redistribution model is proposed under a single random node failure. Adopting the probability generating function method, the relationship between the load and the largest connected component after cascading failures on scale-free fault-tolerant topology is studied. Then the critical load triggering large-scale cascading failure is obtained. This discovery reveals the cascading failure principium of scale-free fault-tolerant topology in WSNs. It may have practical implications for controlling cascading failure disasters of scale-free fault-tolerant topology in the single random node failure.