Scale-free network topology and multifractality in weighted planar stochastic lattice

TL;DR

This paper introduces a weighted planar stochastic lattice with conservation laws, revealing scale-free network topology and multifractality in block size distribution, contributing novel insights into complex network and fractal properties.

Contribution

It presents a new stochastic lattice model with conservation laws, demonstrating scale-free topology and multifractality, advancing understanding of complex network structures and fractal phenomena.

Findings

The dual network exhibits a power-law degree distribution with exponent 5.66.

The lattice's size distribution shows multifractality when weighted by block size.

Conservation laws govern the evolution of the stochastic lattice.

Abstract

We propose a weighted planar stochastic lattice (WPSL) formed by the random sequential partition of a plane into contiguous and non-overlapping blocks and find that it evolves following several non-trivial conservation laws, namely $\sum_i^N x_i^{n-1} y_i^{4/n-1}$ is independent of time $\forall \ n$, where $x_i$ and $y_i$ are the length and width of the $i$th block. Its dual on the other hand, obtained by replacing each block with a node at its center and common border between blocks with an edge joining the two vertices, emerges as a network with a power-law degree distribution $P(k)\sim k^{-\gamma}$ where $\gamma=5.66$ revealing scale-free coordination number disorder since $P(k)$ also describes the fraction of blocks having $k$ neighbours. To quantify the size disorder, we show that if the $i$th block is populated with $p_i\sim x_i^3$ then its distribution in the WPSL exhibits multifractality.