Modeling Network Growth under Resource Constraints

We propose a resource-constrained network growth model that explains the emergence of key structural properties of real-world directed networks: heavy-tailed indegree distribution, high local clustering and degree-clustering relationship. In real-world networks, individuals form edges under constraints of limited network access and partial information. However, well-known growth models that preserve multiple structural properties do not incorporate these resource constraints. Conversely, existing resource-constrained models do not jointly preserve multiple structural properties of real-world networks. We propose a random walk growth model that explains how real-world network properties can jointly arise from edge formation under resource constraints. In our model, each node that joins the network selects a seed node from which it initiates a random walk. At each step of the walk, the new node either jumps back to the seed node or chooses an outgoing or incoming edge to visit another node. It links to each visited node with some probability and stops after forming a few edges. Our experimental results against four well-known growth models indicate improvement in accurately preserving structural properties of five citation networks. Our model also preserves two structural properties that most growth models cannot: skewed local clustering distribution and bivariate indegree-clustering relationship.