Are Scale-Free Networks Rare or Common?

Are Scale-Free Networks Rare or Common?

Are Scale-Free Networks Rare or Common?

Illustration for the KIAS Webzine HORIZON:
“Are Scale-Free Networks Rare or Common?”

#1 Scale-free networks are rare.
To emphasize the claim that scale-free networks—where nodes have eight or more connecting edges—are rarely observed in real-world systems, I highlighted random networks, where most nodes have three or fewer evenly distributed connections.

#2 Rare and everywhere.
In contrast, the rebuttal to the above argument insists that scale-free networks do exist. Since these networks feature nodes with a significantly higher number of connections than random networks, I emphasized such nodes by visually highlighting the density of lines around them.


To reflect the tension between these two opposing viewpoints—the rarity vs. ubiquity of scale-free networks—I combined both claims into a single image, using the format of editing a sentence mid-typing to express their conceptual interplay.

Category

Visual Graphic, Illustration

Belong

Korea Institute for Advanced Study

Date

2019