Cascading failure of interdependent networks with different coupling preference under targeted attack

Cascading failure is one of the most central topics in the field of complex networks. In this paper, the cascading failure model is extended to the case of interdependent networks, and the effect of coupling preference on systems robustness is intensively investigated. It is found that the performance of coupling preference on robustness is dependent on coupling probability. Disassortative coupling is more robust for sparse coupling while assortative coupling performs better for dense coupling. We provide an explanation for this constructive phenomenon via examining cascading process from the microscopic point of view. Our work can be useful to the design and optimization of interdependent networked systems.