Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: The small-world network model is a simple model of the structure of social networks, which possesses characteristics of both regular lattices and random graphs. The model consists of a one-dimensional lattice with a low density of shortcuts added between randomly selected pairs of points. These shortcuts greatly reduce the typical path length between any two points on the lattice. We present a mean-field solution for the average path length and for the distribution of path lengths in the model. This solution is exact in the limit of large system size and either a large or small number of shortcuts.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: M. E. J. Newman, C. Moore, D. J. Watts
Institution: Santa Fe Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2142794306