Topological phase transition in complex networks

Preferential attachment is a central paradigm in the theory of complex networks. In this contribution we consider various generalizations of preferential attachment including for example node removal and edge rewiring. We demonstrate that generalized preferential attachment networks can undergo a topological phase transition. This transition separates networks having a power-law tail degree distribution from those with an exponential tail. The appearance of the phase transition is closely related to the breakdown of the continuous variable description of the network dynamics.