How does homophily shape the topology of a dynamic network?

Xiang Li, Mauro Mobilia, Alastair M. Rucklidge, R. K. P. Zia

Published 2021-06-30Version 1

We consider a dynamic network of individuals that may hold one of two different opinions in a two-party society. As a dynamical model, agents can endlessly create and delete links to satisfy a preferred degree, and the network is shaped by homophily, a form of social interaction. Characterized by the parameter $J \in [-1,1]$, the latter plays a role similar to Ising spins: agents create links to others of the same opinion with probability $(1+J)/2$, and delete them with probability $(1-J)/2$. Using Monte Carlo simulations and mean field theory, we focus on the network structure in the steady state. We study the effects of $J$ on degree distributions and the fraction of cross-party links. While the extreme cases of homophily or heterophily ($J= \pm 1$) are easily understood to result in complete polarization or anti-polarization, intermediate values of $J$ lead to interesting behavior of the network. Our model exhibits the intriguing feature of an "overwhelming transition" occurring when communities of different sizes are subject to sufficient heterophily: agents of the minority group are oversubscribed and their average degree greatly exceeds that of the majority group. In addition, we introduce a novel measure of polarization which displays distinct advantages over the commonly used average edge homogeneity.