Critical properties of the contact process on a scale-free homophilic network. (6th April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Almeida, M L; Macedo-Filho, A; Mendes, G A; da Silva, L R; Albuquerque, E L; Fulco, U L
• Is Part Of: Journal of statistical mechanics. (2016:Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2016-04-06
• Subjects: Statistical mechanics -- Periodicals; Mechanics -- Statistical methods -- Periodicals; 530.1305
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-5468/2016/04/043202
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-5468

Abstract

Abstract: Using the contact process model within a Monte Carlo numerical simulation approach, we mimic an epidemic spreading on a homophilic network, a scale-free network displaying a small world effect, to show a continuous phase transition to an absorbing-state at a critical threshold λ c . Since the connection number k of the vertices' homophilic network is cumulative, the degree distribution exhibits, for a large value of networks, a power-law behavior according to P ( k ) ∝ k − θ, with the distribution exponent θ = 2.84 ( 1 ) . A finite-size scaling analysis allows us to characterize the transition by a set of critical exponents 1 / ν, β / ν, β and γ / ν, whose universality class indicates a disagreement with those associated to the CP on scale-free networks in terms of the heterogeneous mean-field theory.