A coevolving model based on preferential triadic closure for social media networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a coevolving model based on preferential triadic closure that explains the evolution of social media networks like Flickr and Epinions, emphasizing local neighborhood dynamics.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel coevolving model driven solely by local triadic closure, aligning well with empirical data from social media networks.

Findings

Model reproduces global network properties consistent with real data

Triadic link formation is key in network evolution

Local dynamics dominate network growth processes

Abstract

The dynamical origin of complex networks, i.e., the underlying principles governing network evolution, is a crucial issue in network study. In this paper, by carrying out analysis to the temporal data of Flickr and Epinions--two typical social media networks, we found that the dynamical pattern in neighborhood, especially the formation of triadic links, plays a dominant role in the evolution of networks. We thus proposed a coevolving dynamical model for such networks, in which the evolution is only driven by the local dynamics--the preferential triadic closure. Numerical experiments verified that the model can reproduce global properties which are qualitatively consistent with the empirical observations.