Structural Balance: A Dynamic Perspective

Abstract

The paper presents results derived from a series of simulations of signed networks (i.e., networks containing positive and negative links) subject to a balancing process. The dynamics are followed in a space defined by variations in the proportion of positive links introduced and the tolerance to imbalance. The authors claim to have discovered boundaries in the space separating it into three distinct regions. One region probably displays the characteristics of self-organized criticality, which may have implications for the theory of extreme events.

Keywords:

• break-ups
• network evolution
• signed network
• simulation
• social network
• structural balance

Notes

¹Some of the results reported in this paper also have been reported to a natural science audience in the paper cited.

²We restrict our attention to networks with a fixed number of nodes but clearly models with evolutionary node sets and preferential attachment are of major interest.

³It is possible and would be interesting to vary β across nodes. However, our simulations show that complex network structures evolve for a uniform value of β.

⁴It might potentially be a Power-law distribution; however, one would need much larger networks to confirm this.