Studies in Co-authorship Pairs Distribution: Part-1

Abstract

There are different versions of counting co-author pairs. We refer to two of them in the present paper including two corresponding hypotheses. Whereas the first version leads to a power function distribution of the co-author pairs the other version shows a bivariate distribution of co-author pairs’ frequencies hence producing threedimensional graphs. The regularities for the second kind of distributions are very different from simple power law distributions. These new regularities may be described by a model for the intensity function of interpersonal attraction (Social Gestalt). Complementarities are a crucial determinant of this model. In conjunction with these complementarities, various shapes of the distribution of observed co-author pairs’ frequencies emerge. As the difference between the two shapes increases, the correlation between these two shapes decreases. After mixing these two shapes a new shape of social Gestalt emerges which can be successfully described with the help of the mathematical function for a social Gestalt. The change of any shape to any other shape of the social Gestalt can be shown by simulation (or morphing). For comparison of two or more shapes the overlay of these shapes into a single frame is possible: either overlay of standardized shapes or of the originals. The present paper is focused on a theoretical approach verified by empirical studies explained in two papers published in this issue (Guo et.al.[1] and Kundra et.al[2]).