Fluctuation-dissipation relations in complex networks

Abstract

In this paper, we study fluctuations over several ensembles of maximum-entropy random networks. We derive several fluctuation-dissipation relations characterizing the susceptibilities of different networks to changes in external fields. In the case of networks with a given degree sequence, we argue that the scale-free topologies of real-world networks may arise as a result of the self-organization of real systems into sparse structures with low susceptibility to random external disruptions. We also show that the ensembles of networks with a given degree sequence and networks characterized by two-point correlations are equivalent to random networks with hidden variables.