* (b) A new node in a scale-free network has a tendency to link to a node with a higher degree, compared to a new node in a random network which links itself to a random node. This process is called [[preferential attachment]]. The tendency of a new node to link to a node with a high degree ''k'' is characterized by [[Power law|power-law distribution]] (also known as rich-gets-richer process). This idea was introduced by [[Vilfredo Pareto]] and it explained why a small percentage of the population earns most of the money. This process is present in networks as well, for example 80 percent of web links point to 15 percent of webpages. The emergence of scale-free networks is not typical only of networks created by human action, but also of such networks as metabolic networks or illness networks.<ref>Barabási, Albert-László. ''Network Science: The Scale-Free Property''., p. 8.[http://barabasi.com/networksciencebook/content/book_chapter_2.pdf]</ref> This phenomenon may be explained by the example of hubs on the World Wide Web such as Facebook or Google. These webpages are very well known and therefore the tendency of other webpages pointing to them is much higher than linking to random small webpages. | * (b) A new node in a scale-free network has a tendency to link to a node with a higher degree, compared to a new node in a random network which links itself to a random node. This process is called [[preferential attachment]]. The tendency of a new node to link to a node with a high degree ''k'' is characterized by [[Power law|power-law distribution]] (also known as rich-gets-richer process). This idea was introduced by [[Vilfredo Pareto]] and it explained why a small percentage of the population earns most of the money. This process is present in networks as well, for example 80 percent of web links point to 15 percent of webpages. The emergence of scale-free networks is not typical only of networks created by human action, but also of such networks as metabolic networks or illness networks.<ref>Barabási, Albert-László. ''Network Science: The Scale-Free Property''., p. 8.[http://barabasi.com/networksciencebook/content/book_chapter_2.pdf]</ref> This phenomenon may be explained by the example of hubs on the World Wide Web such as Facebook or Google. These webpages are very well known and therefore the tendency of other webpages pointing to them is much higher than linking to random small webpages. |