Perception of similarity: a model for social network dynamics

Some properties of social networks (e.g., the mixing patterns and the community structure) appear deeply influenced by the individual perception of people. In this work we map behaviors by considering similarity and popularity of people, also assuming that each person has his/her proper perception and interpretation of similarity. Although investigated in different ways (depending on the specific scientific framework), from a computational perspective similarity is typically calculated as a distance measure. In accordance with this view, to represent social network dynamics we developed an agent-based model on top of a hyperbolic space on which individual distance measures are calculated. Simulations, performed in accordance with the proposed model, generate small-world networks that exhibit a community structure. We deem this model to be valuable for analyzing the relevant properties of real social networks.

[1]  G. Valenti,et al.  A hyperbolic model for the effects of urbanization on air pollution , 2010 .

[2]  Santo Fortunato,et al.  Community detection in graphs , 2009, ArXiv.

[3]  Amin Vahdat,et al.  Hyperbolic Geometry of Complex Networks , 2010, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[4]  M. A. Muñoz,et al.  Entropic origin of disassortativity in complex networks. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[5]  Franz Franchetti,et al.  Program generation for the all-pairs shortest path problem , 2006, 2006 International Conference on Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques (PACT).

[6]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  Exploring Large Graphs in 3D Hyperbolic Space , 1998, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[7]  Mark E. J. Newman,et al.  The Structure and Function of Complex Networks , 2003, SIAM Rev..

[8]  M. McPherson,et al.  Birds of a Feather: Homophily in Social Networks , 2001 .

[9]  Emilio Ferrara,et al.  A large-scale community structure analysis in Facebook , 2011, EPJ Data Science.

[10]  James W. Anderson,et al.  Hyperbolic geometry , 1999 .

[11]  Rolf H. Möhring,et al.  Partitioning Graphs to Speed Up Dijkstra's Algorithm , 2005, WEA.

[12]  Stephen T. Hyde,et al.  Towards enumeration of crystalline frameworks: the 2D hyperbolic approach , 2006 .

[13]  Pasquale De Meo,et al.  Extraction and Analysis of Facebook Friendship Relations , 2012, Computational Social Networks.

[14]  Malcolm K. Sparrow,et al.  The application of network analysis to criminal intelligence: An assessment of the prospects , 1991 .

[15]  Tarow Indow,et al.  Hyperbolic representation of global structure of visual space , 1997 .

[16]  Sandra L. Calvert,et al.  College students' social networking experiences on Facebook , 2009 .

[17]  B. Bollobás.  The evolution of random graphs , 1984 .

[18]  Ajith Abraham,et al.  Computational Social Networks , 2012, Springer London.

[19]  Albert-László Barabási,et al.  Statistical mechanics of complex networks , 2001, ArXiv.

[20]  Chi Ho Yeung,et al.  Networking—a statistical physics perspective , 2011, 1110.2931.

[21]  M. Newman,et al.  The structure of scientific collaboration networks. , 2000, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[22]  Klaus Jansen,et al.  Experimental and Efficient Algorithms , 2003, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[23]  Carlo Morselli,et al.  The Efficiency/Security Trade-Off in Criminal Networks , 2007, Soc. Networks.

[24]  Jure Leskovec,et al.  Community Structure in Large Networks: Natural Cluster Sizes and the Absence of Large Well-Defined Clusters , 2008, Internet Math..

[25]  Luis E C Rocha,et al.  Information dynamics shape the sexual networks of Internet-mediated prostitution , 2010, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[26]  M E J Newman,et al.  Community structure in social and biological networks , 2001, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[27]  Jean-Loup Guillaume,et al.  Fast unfolding of communities in large networks , 2008, 0803.0476.

[28]  Rajeev Motwani,et al.  Pricing Strategies for Viral Marketing on Social Networks , 2009, WINE.

[29]  Mason A. Porter,et al.  Social Structure of Facebook Networks , 2011, ArXiv.

[30]  Duncan J. Watts,et al.  Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’ networks , 1998, Nature.

[31]  S H Strogatz,et al.  Random graph models of social networks , 2002, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[32]  M. Newman,et al.  Mixing patterns in networks. , 2002, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[33]  Marián Boguñá,et al.  Popularity versus similarity in growing networks , 2011, Nature.

[34]  Jared Saia,et al.  Internet and Network Economics, 5th International Workshop, WINE 2009, Rome, Italy, December 14-18, 2009. Proceedings , 2009, WINE.