Modeling the evolution of weighted networks

Systems as diverse as genetic networks or the world wide web are best described as networks with complex topology. A common property of many large networks is that the vertex connectivities follow a scale-free power-law distribution. This feature is found to be a consequence of the two generic mechanisms that networks expand continuously by the addition of new vertices, and new vertices attach preferentially to already well connected sites. A model based on these two ingredie...

We propose a deterministic weighted scale-free small-world model for considering pseudofractal web with the coevolution of topology and weight. In the model, we have the degree distribution exponent $\gamma$ restricted to a range between 2 and 3, simultaneously tunable with two parameters. At the same time, we provide a relatively complete view of topological structure and weight dynamics characteristics of the networks: weight and strength distribution; degree correlations; ...

In this paper we investigate networks whose evolution is governed by the interaction of a random assembly process and an optimization process. In the first process, new nodes are added one at a time and form connections to randomly selected old nodes. In between node additions, the network is rewired to minimize its pathlength. For timescales, at which neither the assembly nor the optimization processes are dominant, we find a rich variety of complex networks with power law t...

We study a recent model of random networks based on the presence of an intrinsic character of the vertices called fitness. The vertices fitnesses are drawn from a given probability distribution density. The edges between pair of vertices are drawn according to a linking probability function depending on the fitnesses of the two vertices involved. We study here different choices for the probability distribution densities and the linking functions. We find that, irrespective of...

We propose a natural model of evolving weighted networks in which new links are not necessarily connected to new nodes. The model allows a newly added link to connect directly two nodes already present in the network. This is plausible in modeling many real-world networks. Such a link is called an inner link, while a link connected to a new node is called an outer link. In view of interrelations between inner and outer links, we investigate power-laws for the strength, degree...

Co-evolution exhibited by a network system, involving the intricate interplay between the dynamics of the network itself and the subsystems connected by it, is a key concept for understanding the self-organized, flexible nature of real-world network systems. We propose a simple model of such co-evolving network dynamics, in which the diffusion of a resource over a weighted network and the resource-driven evolution of the link weights occur simultaneously. We demonstrate that,...

We introduce a simple one-parameter network growth algorithm which is able to reproduce a wide variety of realistic network structures but without having to invoke any global information about node degrees such as preferential-attachment probabilities. Scale-free networks arise at the transition point between quasi-random and quasi-ordered networks. We provide a detailed formalism which accurately describes the entire network range, including this critical point. Our formalis...

We review the main tools which allow for the statistical characterization of weighted networks. We then present two case studies, the airline connection network and the scientific collaboration network, which are representative of critical infrastructures and social systems, respectively. The main empirical results are (i) the broad distributions of various quantities and (ii) the existence of weight-topology correlations. These measurements show that weights are relevant and...

All crucial features of the recently observed real-world weighted networks are obtained in a model where the weight of a link is defined with a single non-linear parameter $\alpha$ as $w_{ij}=(s_is_j)^\alpha$, $s_i$ and $s_j$ are the strengths of two end nodes of the link and $\alpha$ is a continuously tunable positive parameter. In addition the definition of strength as $s_i= \Sigma_j w_{ij}$ results a self-organizing link weight dynamics leading to a self-consistent distrib...

In this paper, we present a simple model of scale-free networks that incorporates both preferential & random attachment and anti-preferential & random deletion at each time step. We derive the degree distribution analytically and show that it follows a power law with the degree exponent in the range of (2,infinity). We also find a way to derive an expression of the clustering coefficient for growing networks and compute the average path length through simulation.