Abstract
We show that to explain the growth of the citation network by preferential attachment (PA), one has to accept that individual nodes exhibit heterogeneous fitness values that decay with time. While previous PA-based models assumed either heterogeneity or decay in isolation, we propose a simple analytically treatable model that combines these two factors. Depending on the input assumptions, the resulting degree distribution shows an exponential, log-normal or power-law decay, which makes the model an apt candidate for modeling a wide range of real systems.
- Received 25 July 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.238701
© 2011 American Physical Society
Synopsis
You Don’t Cite Me Anymore
Published 1 December 2011
A study of the American Physical Society journals shows that the way in which papers lose relevance over time has a strong influence on the citation statistics.
See more in Physics