scale-free network portal 05-04-2014d1702

2014-08-29

scale-free network portal 05-04-2014d1702


A scale-free network is a network whose degree distribution follows a power law, at least asymptotically. That is, the fraction P(k) of nodes in the network having k connections to other nodes goes for large values of k as

P(k) = k^(-gamma)

where gamma is a parameter whose value is typically in the range 2 < gamma < 3, although occasionally it may lie outside these bounds.[1][2]

Many networks are conjectured to be scale-free, including World Wide Web links, biological networks, and social networks, although the scientific community is still discussing these claims as more sophisticated data analysis techniques become available.[3] Preferential attachment and the fitness model have been proposed as mechanisms to explain conjectured power law degree distributions in real networks.


how can I determine whether a network is scale-free