Generalized Preferential Attachment: Towards Realistic Socio-Semantic Network Models

The mechanism of preferential attachment underpins most recent social network formation models. Yet few authors attempt to check or quantify assumptions on this mechanism. We call generalized preferential attachment any kind of preference to interact with other agents with respect to any node property. We introduce tools for measuring empirically and characterizing comprehensively such phenomena, consequently suggest significant implications for model design, and apply these tools to a socio-semantic network of scientific collaborations, investigating in particular homophilic behavior. This opens the way to a whole class of realistic and credible social network morphogenesis models.