DIMACS Computational and Mathematical Epidemiology Seminar Series


Title: A new clustering coefficient

Speaker: Sara Soffer, Rutgers University

Date: October 25, 2004, 11:30 - 12:50

Location: DIMACS Center, CoRE Bldg, Room 431, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ


Abstract:

The clustering coefficient quantifies how well connected are the neighbors of a vertex in a graph. In real networks it decreases with the vertex degree, which has been taken as a signature of the network hierarchical structure. Here we show that this signature of hierarchical structure is a consequence of degree correlation biases in the clustering coefficient definition. We introduce a new definition in which the degree correlation biases are filtered out, and provide evidence that in real networks the clustering coefficient is constant or decays logarithmically with vertex degree.

A joint work with Alexei V\'{a}zquez, Center for Complex Network Research, University of Notre-Dame.