Self-similar Dynamics in Percolation and Sandpile

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Lu, Mingzhong, Li, Ming, Deng, Youjin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Lu, Mingzhong
Li, Ming
Deng, Youjin
author_facet Lu, Mingzhong
Li, Ming
Deng, Youjin
contents Spatial self-similarity is a hallmark of critical phenomena. We study the dynamic process of percolation, in which bonds are incrementally added to an initially empty lattice until the system becomes fully occupied. By tracking the gap -- the size increment of clusters upon bond addition -- and the corresponding merged cluster, we identify scale-invariant temporal patterns in both quantities throughout a large portion of the process. This reveals a form of temporal self-similarity that has not been reported before. We further establish quantitative relations between the dynamic scaling exponents and the conventional static critical exponents, which enable the determination of critical behavior without prior knowledge of the critical point. The same self-similar dynamics is observed in both bond and site percolation on lattices and networks, and extends to other systems such as explosive and rigidity percolation. Moreover, similar temporal scaling is found in the initial nonequilibrium evolution of the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model, suggesting a dynamic critical behavior distinct from its equilibrium state. These results provide a unified framework for understanding critical dynamics and may find applications in a broad range of complex systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_08864
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Self-similar Dynamics in Percolation and Sandpile
Lu, Mingzhong
Li, Ming
Deng, Youjin
Statistical Mechanics
Spatial self-similarity is a hallmark of critical phenomena. We study the dynamic process of percolation, in which bonds are incrementally added to an initially empty lattice until the system becomes fully occupied. By tracking the gap -- the size increment of clusters upon bond addition -- and the corresponding merged cluster, we identify scale-invariant temporal patterns in both quantities throughout a large portion of the process. This reveals a form of temporal self-similarity that has not been reported before. We further establish quantitative relations between the dynamic scaling exponents and the conventional static critical exponents, which enable the determination of critical behavior without prior knowledge of the critical point. The same self-similar dynamics is observed in both bond and site percolation on lattices and networks, and extends to other systems such as explosive and rigidity percolation. Moreover, similar temporal scaling is found in the initial nonequilibrium evolution of the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model, suggesting a dynamic critical behavior distinct from its equilibrium state. These results provide a unified framework for understanding critical dynamics and may find applications in a broad range of complex systems.
title Self-similar Dynamics in Percolation and Sandpile
topic Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.08864