Preferential attachment model for wikipedia

A paper discussing a preferential attachment model for wikipedia was just posted on the arXiv:

\Paper: physics/0602026
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 00:07:39 GMT (50kb)

Title: Preferential attachment in the growth of social networks: the case of
Wikipedia
Authors: A. Capocci, V.D.P. Servedio, F. Colaiori, L.S. Buriol, D. Donato, S.
Leonardi and G. Caldarelli
Comments: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex
Subj-class: Physics and Society
\ We present an analysis of the statistical properties and growth of the free on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia. By describing topics by vertices and hyperlinks between them as edges, we can represent this encyclopedia as a directed graph. The topological properties of this graph are in close analogy with that of the World Wide Web, despite the very different growth mechanism. In particular we measure a scale--invariant distribution of the in-- and out-- degree and we are able to reproduce these features by means of a simple statistical model. As a major consequence, Wikipedia growth can be described by local rules such as the preferential attachment mechanism, though users can act globally on the network.
\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/physics/0602026 , 50kb)



Also just appearing on the arXiv was the archival sequel of my paper on Congress. I'll discuss this more later after we go through the refereeing process, but maybe you'll be interested in taking a look at what I like to call the "Zell Miller plot". Here is the arxiv entry:

\Paper: physics/0602033
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 22:41:34 GMT (376kb)

Title: Community Structure in the United States House of Representatives
Authors: Mason A. Porter, Peter J. Mucha, M. E. J. Newman, and A. J. Friend
Comments: 46 pages (double spaced, 10 pt), 11 figures (some with multiple parts
and most in color), submitted to Social Networks
Subj-class: Physics and Society; Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
\ We investigate the networks of committee and subcommittee assignments in the United States House of Representatives from the 101st--108th Congresses, with committees connected according to ``interlocks'' or common membership. We
examine the House's community structure using several methods, which reveal strong links between different committees as well as the intrinsic hierarchical structure within the House as a whole. We identify structural changes, including additional hierarchical levels and higher modularity, resulting from the 1994 elections, in which the Republican party earned majority status in the House for the first time in more than forty years. We also combine our network approach with analysis of roll call votes using singular value decomposition to uncover correlations between the political and organizational structure of
House committees.
\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/physics/0602033 , 376kb)


You can also find the paper here.