Group interactions drive explosive spreading beyond pairwise networks
Hyperedges (shaded triangles) represent group interactions — infection can spread when ≥2 members of a group are infected, overwhelming individual resistance.
Explosive transition: Higher-order terms introduce a bistable regime. Unlike pairwise SIR (continuous transition at R₀=1), hyperedge contagion can exhibit discontinuous jumps in epidemic size.
Colors: Blue = Susceptible, Red = Infected, Green = Recovered
Purple shaded regions = active hyperedges (3-body interactions).