Erosion of synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators

We report erosion of synchronization in networks of coupled phase oscillators, a phenomenon where perfect phase synchronization is unattainable in steady-state, even in the limit of infinite coupling. An analysis reveals that the total erosion is separable into the product of terms characterizing coupling frustration and structural heterogeneity, both of which amplify erosion. The latter, however, can differ significantly from degree heterogeneity. Finally, we show that erosion is marked by the reorganization of oscillators according to their node degrees rather than their natural frequencies.