Two-Population Dynamics in a Growing Network Model

TL;DR

This paper presents a growing network model with two agent types, capturing social interactions and network properties, aligning well with real-world social and terrorist network data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel two-population growing network model with analytical solutions that reflect real social and terrorist network characteristics.

Findings

Model reproduces stable triads in social systems.

Analytical degree distribution matches simulations.

Network assortativity aligns with empirical terrorist and online social networks.

Abstract

We introduce a growing network evolution model with nodal attributes. The model describes the interactions between potentially violent V and non-violent N agents who have different affinities in establishing connections within their own population versus between the populations. The model is able to generate all stable triads observed in real social systems. In the framework of rate equations theory, we employ the mean-field approximation to derive analytical expressions of the degree distribution and the local clustering coefficient for each type of nodes. Analytical derivations agree well with numerical simulation results. The assortativity of the potentially violent network qualitatively resembles the connectivity pattern in terrorist networks that was recently reported. The assortativity of the network driven by aggression shows clearly different behavior than the assortativity of the networks with connections of non-aggressive nature in agreement with recent empirical results of an online social system.