The role of intermediaries in the synchronization of pulse-coupled   oscillators
  The role of intermediaries in the synchronization of small groups of light controlled oscillators (LCO) is addressed. A single LCO is a two-time-scale phase oscillator. When pulse-coupling two LCOs, the synchronization time decreases monotonously as the coupling strength increases, independent of the initial conditions and frequency detuning. In this work we study numerically the effects that a third LCO induces to the collective behavior of the system. We analyze the new system by dealing with directed heterogeneous couplings among the units. We report a novel and robust phenomenon, absent when coupling two LCOs, which consists of a discontinuous relationship between the synchronization time and coupling strength or initial conditions. The mechanism responsible for the appearance of such discontinuities is discussed. 
Rodrigo A. Garc\'ia, Nicol\'as Rubido, Arturo C. Marti and Cecilia   Cabeza
nlin.CD nlin.AO