Telediffusion

Telediffusion is a theoretical concept used to describe the diffusion of a quantity across a network where conventional local diffusion is supplemented by long-range transfers mediated by telecommunication links. In this framing, diffusion is not limited to nearest-neighbor interactions but can incorporate remote interactions facilitated by communications infrastructure such as fiber-optic networks, satellite links, or wireless connections. Telediffusion is not an established physical process; it appears mainly in discussions of complex networks and speculative models, and it does not imply violations of causality or faster-than-light signaling.

The mechanism is imagined as a combination of traditional diffusion and telecommunication-assisted transfer. Locally, a quantity ρ(x,t) may spread according to a diffusion term D∇²ρ, while telecommunication links introduce additional coupling that moves information or material between distant nodes. In a network representation, the evolution at a node i could be described by ∂ρ_i/∂t = D∑_j A_ij(ρ_j − ρ_i) + κ∑_k C_ik(ρ_k − ρ_i), where A is the physical adjacency and C encodes long-range link strengths and delays. The exact form depends on the system, including delays, link capacities, and noise.

Applications are primarily theoretical, including models of rapid information spread in highly connected digital networks or the integrated diffusion of goods in transportation-enabled systems. Limitations include ambiguity in definition, sensitivity to network topology and delays, and a lack of empirical verification.