English

Gossip in random networks

Physics and Society 2007-05-23 v3

Abstract

We consider the average probability X of being informed on a gossip in a given social network. The network is modeled within the random graph theory of Erdos and Renyi. In this theory, a network is characterized by two parameters: the size N and the link probability p. Our experimental data suggest three levels of social inclusion of friendship. The critical value p_c, for which half of agents are informed, scales with the system size as N^{-\gamma} with \gamma\approx 0.68. Computer simulations show that the probability X varies with p as a sigmoidal curve. Influence of the correlations between neighbors is also evaluated: with increasing clustering coefficient C, X decreases.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.physics/0601158,
  title  = {Gossip in random networks},
  author = {K. Malarz and Z. Szvetelszky and B. Szekfu and K. Kulakowski},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0601158},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

10 pages, 3 figures in 4 eps files, for the 2nd Polish Seminar on Econo- and Sociophysics, 2006/04/21-22 Cracow, to be published in Acta Phys. Pol. B