arXiv subjects

Ginestra Bianconi

Publications and source records attributed to Ginestra Bianconi.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Percolation transition and distribution of connected components in generalized random network ensembles

In this work, we study the percolation transition and large deviation properties of generalized canonical network ensembles. This new type of random networks might have a very rich complex structure, including high heterogeneous degree sequences, non-trivial community structure or specific spatial dependence of the link probability for networks embedded in a metric space. We find the cluster distribution of the networks in these ensembles by mapping the problem to a fully connected Potts model with heterogeneous couplings. We show that the nature of the Potts model phase transition, linked to the birth of a giant component, has a crossover from second to first order when the number of critical colors $q_c = 2$ in all the networks under study. These results shed light on the properties of dynamical processes defined on these network ensembles.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2009

On the rich-club effect in dense and weighted networks

For many complex networks present in nature only a single instance, usually of large size, is available. Any measurement made on this single instance cannot be repeated on different realizations. In order to detect significant patterns in a real--world network it is therefore crucial to compare the measured results with a null model counterpart. Here we focus on dense and weighted networks, proposing a suitable null model and studying the behaviour of the degree correlations as measured by the rich-club coefficient. Our method solves an existing problem with the randomization of dense unweighted graphs, and at the same time represents a generalization of the rich--club coefficient to weighted networks which is complementary to other recently proposed ones.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2008

The entropy of network ensembles

In this paper we generalize the concept of random networks to describe networks with non trivial features by a statistical mechanics approach. This framework is able to describe ensembles of undirected, directed as well as weighted networks. These networks might have not trivial community structure or, in the case of networks embedded in a given space, non trivial distance dependence of the link probability. These ensembles are characterized by their entropy which evaluate the cardinality of networks in the ensemble. The general framework we present in this paper is able to describe microcanonical ensemble of networks as well as canonical or hidden variables network ensemble with significant implication for the formulation of network constructing algorithms. Moreover in the paper we define and and characterize in particular the "structural entropy", i.e. the entropy of the ensembles of undirected uncorrelated simple networks with given degree sequence. We discuss the apparent paradox that scale-free degree distribution are characterized by having small structural entropy but are so widely encountered in natural, social and technological complex systems. We give the proof that while scale-free networks ensembles have small structural entropy, they also correspond to the most likely degree distribution with the corresponding value of the structural entropy.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2008

Congestion phenomena on complex networks

We define a minimal model of traffic flows in complex networks containing the most relevant features of real routing schemes, i.e. a trade--off strategy between topological-based and traffic-based routing. The resulting collective behavior, obtained analytically for the ensemble of uncorrelated networks, is physically very rich and reproduces results recently observed in traffic simulations on scale-free networks. We find that traffic control is useless in homogeneous graphs but may improves global performance in inhomogeneous networks, enlarging the free-flow region in parameter space. Traffic control also introduces non-linear effects and, beyond a critical strength, may trigger the appearance of a congested phase in a discontinuous manner.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2008

Spectral properties of complex networks

We derive the spectral properties of adjacency matrix of complex networks and of their Laplacian by the replica method combined with a dynamical population algorithm. By assuming the order parameter to be a product of Gaussian distributions, the present theory provides a solution for the non linear integral equations for the spectra density in random matrix theory of the spectra of sparse random matrices making a step forward with respect to the effective medium approximation (EMA) . We extend these results also to weighted networks with weight-degree correlations

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2008

Flux distribution in metabolic networks close to optimal biomass production

We study a statistical model describing the steady state distribution of the fluxes in a metabolic network. The resulting model on continuous variables can be solved by the cavity method. In particular analytical tractability is possible solving the cavity equation over an ensemble of networks with the same degree distribution of the real metabolic network. The flux distribution that optimizes production of biomass has a fat tail with a power-law exponent independent on the structural properties of the underling network. These results are in complete agreement with the Flux-Balance-Analysis outcome of the same system and in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.

q-bio.MN↗

arXiv2008

Local structure of directed networks

Previous work on undirected small-world networks established the paradigm that locally structured networks tend to have high density of short loops. On the other hand, many realistic networks are directed. Here we investigate the local organization of directed networks and find, surprisingly, that real networks often have very few short loops as compared to random models. We develop a theory and derive conditions for determining if a given network has more or less loops than its randomized counterpart. These findings carry broad implications for structural and dynamical processes sustained by directed networks.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2007

The entropy of randomized network ensembles

Randomized network ensembles are the null models of real networks and are extensivelly used to compare a real system to a null hypothesis. In this paper we study network ensembles with the same degree distribution, the same degree-correlations or the same community structure of any given real network. We characterize these randomized network ensembles by their entropy, i.e. the normalized logarithm of the total number of networks which are part of these ensembles. We estimate the entropy of randomized ensembles starting from a large set of real directed and undirected networks. We propose entropy as an indicator to assess the role of each structural feature in a given real network.We observe that the ensembles with fixed scale-free degree distribution have smaller entropy than the ensembles with homogeneous degree distribution indicating a higher level of order in scale-free networks.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2007

Algorithm for counting large directed loops

We derive a Belief-Propagation algorithm for counting large loops in a directed network. We evaluate the distribution of the number of small loops in a directed random network with given degree sequence. We apply the algorithm to a few characteristic directed networks of various network sizes and loop structures and compare the algorithm with exhaustive counting results when possible. The algorithm is adequate in estimating loop counts for large directed networks and can be used to compare the loop structure of directed networks and their randomized counterparts.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2007

Viable flux distribution in metabolic networks

The metabolic networks are very well characterized for a large set of organisms, a unique case in within the large-scale biological networks. For this reason they provide a a very interesting framework for the construction of analytically tractable statistical mechanics models. In this paper we introduce a solvable model for the distribution of fluxes in the metabolic network. We show that the effect of the topology on the distribution of fluxes is to allow for large fluctuations of their values, a fact that should have implications on the robustness of the system.

q-bio.MN↗

arXiv2007

A statistical mechanics approach for scale-free networks and finite-scale networks

We present a statistical mechanics approach for the description of complex networks. We first define an energy and an entropy associated to a degree distribution which have a geometrical interpretation. Next we evaluate the distribution which extremize the free energy of the network. We find two important limiting cases: a scale-free degree distribution and a finite-scale degree distribution. The size of the space of allowed simple networks given these distribution is evaluated in the large network limit. Results are compared with simulations of algorithms generating these networks.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2006

Degree distribution of complex networks from statistical mechanics principles

In this paper we describe the emergence of scale-free degree distributions from statistical mechanics principles. We define an energy associated to a degree sequence as the logarithm of the number of indistinguishable simple networks it is possible to draw given the degree sequence. Keeping fixed the total number of nodes and links, we show that the energy of scale-free distribution is much higher than the energy associated to the degree sequence of regular random graphs. This results unable us to estimate the annealed average of the number of distinguishable simple graphs it is possible to draw given a scale-free distribution with structural cutoff. In particular we shaw that this number for large networks is strongly suppressed for power -law exponent γ->2.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2006

Effect of degree correlations on the loop structure of scale-free networks

In this paper we study the impact of degree correlations in the subgraphs statistics of scale-free networks. In particular we consider loops: a simple case of network subgraphs which encode the redundancy of the paths passing through every two nodes of the network. We provide an understanding of the scaling of the clustering coefficient in modular networks in terms of the eigenvector of the correlation matrix associated with the maximal eigenvalue and we show that correlations affect in a relevant way the average number of Hamiltonian paths in a 3-core of real world networks. We prove our results in the two point correlated hidden variable ensemble and we check the results with exact counting of small loops in real graphs.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2006

On the flexibility of complex systems

Many complex systems satisfy a set of constraints on their degrees of freedom, and at the same time, they are able to work and adapt to different conditions. Here, we describe the emergence of this ability in a simplified model in which the system must satisfy a set of random dense linear constraints. By statistical mechanics techniques, we describe the transition between a non-flexible system in which the constraints are not fully satisfied, to a flexible system, in which the constraints can be satisfied in many ways. This phase transition is described in terms of the appearance of zeros modes in the statistical mechanics problem.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2006

Number of cliques in random scale-free network ensembles

In this paper we calculate the average number of cliques in random scale-free networks. We consider first the hidden variable ensemble and subsequently the Molloy Reed ensemble. In both cases we find that cliques, i.e. fully connected subgraphs, appear also when the average degree is finite. This is in contrast to what happens in Erdös and Renyi graphs in which diverging average degree is required to observe cliques of size $c>3$. Moreover we show that in random scale-free networks the clique number, i.e. the size of the largest clique present in the network diverges with the system size.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2006

Multi-asset minority games

We study analytically and numerically Minority Games in which agents may invest in different assets (or markets), considering both the canonical and the grand-canonical versions. We find that the likelihood of agents trading in a given asset depends on the relative amount of information available in that market. More specifically, in the canonical game players play preferentially in the stock with less information. The same holds in the grand canonical game when agents have positive incentives to trade, whereas when agents payoff are solely related to their speculative ability they display a larger propensity to invest in the information-rich asset. Furthermore, in this model one finds a globally predictable phase with broken ergodicity.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2006

Effects of Tobin Taxes in Minority Game markets

We show that the introduction of Tobin taxes in agent-based models of currency markets can lead to a reduction of speculative trading and reduce the magnitude of exchange rate fluctuations at intermediate tax rates. In this regime revenues for the market maker obtained from speculators are maximal. We here focus on Minority Game models of markets, which are accessible by exact techniques from statistical mechanics. Results are supported by computer simulations. Our findings suggest that at finite systems sizes the effect is most pronounced in a critical region around the phase transition of the infinite system, but much weaker if the market is operating far from criticality and does not exhibit anomalous fluctuations.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2005

Loops structure of the Internet at the Autonomous System Level

We present here a study of the clustering and cycles in the graph of Internet at the Autonomous Systems level. We show that,even if the whole structure is changing with time, the statistical distributions of loops of order 3,4,5 remain stable during the evolution. Moreover we will bring evidence that the Internet graphs show characteristic Markovian signatures, since the loops structure is very well described by the two point correlations between the connectivities of the nodes. This represent another essential characteristic of this evolving graph. To capture this feature of the Internet represent one of the challenges in the future Internet modeling.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗