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arXiv · 2502.11112

Parametric Analysis of Network Evolution Processes

Peter Williams·Zhan Chen
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Abstract

We present a comprehensive parametric analysis of node and edge lifetimes processes in two large-scale collaboration networks: the Microsoft Academic Graph (1800-2020) and Internet Movie Database (1900-2020). Node and edge lifetimes (career and collaboration durations) follow Weibull distributions with consistent shape parameters ($k \approx 0.2$ for academic, $k \approx 0.5$ for entertainment careers) across centuries of evolution. These distributions persist despite dramatic changes in network size and structure. Edge processes show domain-specific evolution: academic collaboration durations increase over time (power-law index $1.6$ to $2.3$) while entertainment collaborations maintain more stable patterns (index $2.6$ to $2.1$). These findings indicate that while career longevity exhibits consistent patterns, collaboration dynamics appear to be influenced by domain-specific factors. The results provide new constraints for models of social network evolution, requiring incorporation of both universal lifetime distributions and domain-specific growth dynamics.

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Peter Williams, Zhan Chen. 2025-02-16. Parametric Analysis of Network Evolution Processes. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.11112

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