Scale-free networks from self-organization

Abstract

We show how scale-free degree distributions can emerge naturally from growing networks by using random walks for selecting vertices for attachment. This result holds for several variants of the walk algorithm and for a wide range of parameters. The growth mechanism is based on using local graph information only, so this is a process of self-organization. The standard mean-field equations are an excellent approximation for network growth using these rules. We discuss the effects of finite size on the degree distribution, and compare analytical results to simulated networks. Finally, we generalize the random walk algorithm to produce weighted networks with power-law distributions of both weight and degree.