Remote synchronization from remote propagation

Remote synchronization (RS), in which nonadjacent nodes synchronize while directly connected nodes remain incoherent, and remote propagation (RP), in which signals are transmitted to distant nodes while intermediate nodes remain dynamically inactive, are two fundamental phenomena whose connection remains unclear. Here, we show that remote signal transmission can generate RS in a driven star network of Stuart-Landau oscillators and in empirical human brain subnetworks. In the minimal network, a periodic input propagates frequency selectively to remote nodes, as indicated by their locking to the driving frequency, while the hub remains unlocked, producing RP. When multiple remote nodes receive the same propagated signal, they form an RS state with strong mutual coherence despite weak hub coherence. Parameter-space maps show that the RS and RP regimes coincide, and empirical brain-subnetwork simulations confirm this mechanism beyond the minimal architecture. A coupling-based analysis explains the transition as network-mediated frequency-selective entrainment to a common propagated frequency. These results establish a dynamical route from remote signal transmission to long-range coherent dynamics.