Determine the origin of the size-specific basin-stability depression at N = 44

Determine the origin of the anomalously low basin stability observed for most shortcut configurations in the N = 44 alternating-block ring networks, including why the depression persists under both configuration-specific and common-coupling evaluations.

Background

Scenario 4 replaces the two separated producer and consumer clusters with four alternating producer and consumer blocks on a ring. The authors compare shortcut placements according to endpoint position, block types joined, chord length, and whether the added coupling is divided between two shortcuts.

For N = 44, most shortcut configurations fall below the shortcut-less baseline in both the near-threshold and fixed-coupling comparisons. Because the effect remains when the coupling is held fixed, it cannot be explained solely by the different coupling values used in the near-threshold analysis. The paper reports the anomaly but does not identify its mechanism.