Diffusion Dynamics with Changing Network Composition
arXiv:1308.1257 · doi:10.3390/e15114553
Abstract
We analyze information diffusion using empirical data that tracks online communication around two instances of mass political mobilization, including the year that lapsed in-between the protests. We compare the global properties of the topological and dynamic networks through which communication took place as well as local changes in network composition. We show that changes in network structure underlie aggregated differences on how information diffused: an increase in network hierarchy is accompanied by a reduction in the average size of cascades. The increasing hierarchy affects not only the underlying communication topology but also the more dynamic structure of information exchange; the increase is especially noticeable amongst certain categories of nodes (or users). This suggests that the relationship between the structure of networks and their function in diffusing information is not as straightforward as some theoretical models of diffusion in networks imply.
14 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables
References in corpus (12)
- Emergence of scaling in random networks
- Error and attack tolerance of complex networks
- Epidemic spreading in scale-free networks
- Dynamical interplay between awareness and epidemic spreading in multiplex networks
- Dynamics of Rumor Spreading in Complex Networks
- The Dynamics of Protest Recruitment through an Online Network
- Cascade Dynamics of Multiplex Propagation
- Absence of influential spreaders in rumor dynamics
- The Digital Evolution of Occupy Wall Street
- Structural and Dynamical Patterns on Online Social Networks: the Spanish May 15th Movement as a case study
- The Geospatial Characteristics of a Social Movement Communication Network
- Locating privileged spreaders on an Online Social Network