Title: Scale-free network model under exogenous pressures

Authors: Qiang Guo, Jian-Guo Liu, Ming-Jun Zhong

Addresses: School of Science, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian 116600, PR China. ' Institute of System Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China. ' School of Science, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian 116600, PR China

Abstract: A random network model under the constraint that the average distance and the average degree (k) remain approximately constant is studied. We found that, if the network maintains the form of its degree distribution and the maximal degree k_c is a N dependent cutoff function k_c(N) < N, the degree distribution would be approximately power-law whose exponent is between 2 and 3. Moreover, the distribution exponent has little relationship with the average degree (k). The average distance constraint can be interpreted as the environmental selection pressure, which could explain the scale-free degree property of real-world networks.

Keywords: scale-free networks; diameter; power-law degree distribution; network modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2008.018187

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2008 Vol.3 No.1, pp.79 - 82

Published online: 10 May 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article