Measuring Generalized Preferential Attachment in Dynamic Social Networks

Camille Roth (1)

1 CREA - Centre de recherche en épistémologie appliquée

The mechanism of preferential attachment underpins most recent social network formation models. Yet few authors attempt to check or quantify assumptions on this mechanism. We call generalized preferential attachment any kind of preference to interact with other agents with respect to any node property. We then introduce tools for measuring empirically and characterizing comprehensively such phenomena, and apply these tools to a socio-semantic network of scientific collaborations, investigating in particular homophilic behavior. This opens the way to a whole class of realistic and credible social network morphogenesis models.

Mots clés: Morphogenesis models; Preferential attachment; Social Networks; Dynamic Networks; Complex systems

Domaines: Adaptation et Systèmes auto-organisés [nlin.AO]; Systèmes désordonnés et réseaux de neurones [cond-mat.dis-nn]; Réseaux et télécommunications [cs.NI]; Mathématique discrète [cs.DM]; Physique et Société [physics.soc-ph]; Sociologie

Camille Roth. Measuring Generalized Preferential Attachment in Dynamic Social Networks. 2005. ⟨hal-00007484v2⟩