Criticality and Popularity in Social Networks

I find that several models for information sharing in social networks can be interpreted as age-dependent multi-type branching processes, and build them independently following Sewastjanow. This allows to characterize criticality in (real and random) social networks. For random networks, I develop a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Mayerhofer, Eberhard
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 19.05.2021
Subjects
Computer Science - Social and Information Networks
Mathematics - Probability
Physics - Physics and Society
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Summary:I find that several models for information sharing in social networks can be interpreted as age-dependent multi-type branching processes, and build them independently following Sewastjanow. This allows to characterize criticality in (real and random) social networks. For random networks, I develop a moment-closure method that handles the high-dimensionality of these models: By modifying the timing of sharing with followers, all users can be represented by a single representative, while leaving the total progeny unchanged. Thus I compute the exact popularity distribution, revealing a viral character of critical models expressed by fat tails of order minus three half.
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.2105.09359