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Scale-free topology of e-mail networks
Holger Ebel1, Lutz-Ingo Mielsch, Stefan Bornholdt
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 15, Germany. ebel@theo-physik.uni-kiel.de
Summary
Email networks show scale-free and small-world properties, similar to social networks. This structure significantly aids the spread of email viruses compared to random networks.
Area of Science:
- Network science
- Computer science
- Information science
Background:
- Social networks exhibit complex topological properties.
- Understanding network structures is crucial for analyzing information diffusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the topology of email networks.
- To determine if email networks share characteristics with other social networks.
- To assess the implications for email virus propagation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized server log files containing email data.
- Modeled email addresses as nodes and emails as links.
- Analyzed network properties including link distribution and small-world behavior.
Main Results:
- The email network demonstrates a scale-free link distribution.
- The network exhibits pronounced small-world characteristics.
- These properties are consistent with those found in other social networks.
Conclusions:
- Email networks possess complex topological features.
- The observed network topology facilitates rapid email virus spreading.
- This highlights vulnerabilities in current email communication systems.