Comment on: 'Universal Behavior of Load Distribution in Scale-free Networks'

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the claimed universality of load distribution exponent in scale-free networks and demonstrates through numerical analysis that this universality does not hold.

Contribution

The authors challenge previous claims by numerically testing and disproving the universality of the load distribution exponent in scale-free networks.

Findings

Universality of load distribution exponent is not supported.

Numerical checks show dependence on degree distribution exponent.

Previous claims of universality are invalidated.

Abstract

In a previous Letter (cond-mat/0106565), Goh et al have presented a numerical study of the load--or betweenness centrality--distribution in a scale-free network whose degree distribution follows a power law with a tunable exponent $\gamma$. They showed that the load $\ell$ is distributed according to a power-law with exponent $\delta$. The authors claimed that $\delta$ is universal, ie. independent of the exponent $\gamma$. In this comment, we use two different ways of checking numerically this universality and we show that it does not hold.