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Modeling and simulation of e-mail social networks: a new stochastic agent-based approach

Published: 07 December 2008 Publication History

Abstract

Understanding how the structure of a network evolves over time is one of the most interesting and complex topics in the field of social networks. In our attempt to model the dynamics of such systems, we explore an agent-based approach to model growth of email-based social networks, in which individuals establish, maintain and allow atrophy of links through contact-lists and emails. The model is based on the idea of common neighbors, but also on a detailed specialization of the classical preferential attachment theory, thus capturing a deeper understanding of the topology of inter-node connections. In our event-based simulation that schedules the agents' actions over time, the proposed model is amenable to significant efficiency improvements through an application of the Gillespie stochastic simulation schemes. Computer simulation results are used to validate the model by showing that its unique features endow it with ability to simulate real-world email networks with convincing realism.

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Cited By

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  • (2016)Mining and Modeling the Information Propagation in an Email Communication NetworkRevised Selected Papers of the Second International Conference on Human Centered Computing - Volume 956710.1007/978-3-319-31854-7_46(510-522)Online publication date: 7-Jan-2016
  • (2014)Introductory tutorialProceedings of the 2014 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/2693848.2693856(6-20)Online publication date: 7-Dec-2014
  • (2014)Modeling the information propagation in an email communication network using an agent-based approachProceedings of the Companion Publication of the 2014 Annual Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation10.1145/2598394.2610013(1007-1014)Online publication date: 12-Jul-2014
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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences
WSC '08: Proceedings of the 40th Conference on Winter Simulation
December 2008
3189 pages
ISBN:9781424427086

Sponsors

  • IIE: Institute of Industrial Engineers
  • INFORMS-SIM: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences: Simulation Society
  • ASA: American Statistical Association
  • IEEE/SMC: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society
  • SIGSIM: ACM Special Interest Group on Simulation and Modeling
  • NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • (SCS): The Society for Modeling and Simulation International

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Winter Simulation Conference

Publication History

Published: 07 December 2008

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WSC08
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  • IIE
  • INFORMS-SIM
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  • IEEE/SMC
  • SIGSIM
  • NIST
  • (SCS)
WSC08: Winter Simulation Conference
December 7 - 10, 2008
Florida, Miami

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WSC '08 Paper Acceptance Rate 249 of 304 submissions, 82%;
Overall Acceptance Rate 3,413 of 5,075 submissions, 67%

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Cited By

View all
  • (2016)Mining and Modeling the Information Propagation in an Email Communication NetworkRevised Selected Papers of the Second International Conference on Human Centered Computing - Volume 956710.1007/978-3-319-31854-7_46(510-522)Online publication date: 7-Jan-2016
  • (2014)Introductory tutorialProceedings of the 2014 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/2693848.2693856(6-20)Online publication date: 7-Dec-2014
  • (2014)Modeling the information propagation in an email communication network using an agent-based approachProceedings of the Companion Publication of the 2014 Annual Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation10.1145/2598394.2610013(1007-1014)Online publication date: 12-Jul-2014
  • (2013)Agent-based modeling and simulationProceedings of the 2013 Winter Simulation Conference: Simulation: Making Decisions in a Complex World10.5555/2675983.2676031(362-376)Online publication date: 8-Dec-2013
  • (2013)Dynamics of email communications among university students throughout a semesterComputers & Education10.1016/j.compedu.2013.01.01464(95-103)Online publication date: 1-May-2013
  • (2012)On the recent use of email through traffic and network analysisACM SIGMETRICS Performance Evaluation Review10.1145/2185395.218544239:4(61-70)Online publication date: 9-Apr-2012
  • (2011)Introductory tutorialProceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/2431518.2431690(1456-1469)Online publication date: 11-Dec-2011

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