Kinetics of node splitting in evolving complex networks

Abstract: We introduce a collection of complex networks generated by a combination of preferential attachment and a previously unexamined process of "splitting" nodes of degree $k$ into $k$ nodes of degree 1. Four networks are considered, each evolves at each time step by either preferential attachment, with probability $p$, or splitting with probability $1-p$. Two methods of attachment are considered; first, attachment of an edge between a newly created node and existing node in the network, and secondly by attachment of an edge between two existing nodes. Splitting is also considered in two separate ways; first by selecting each node with equal probability and secondly, selecting the node with probability proportional to its degree. Exact solutions for the degree distributions are found and scale-free structure is exhibited in those networks where the candidates for splitting are chosen with uniform probability, those that are chosen preferentially are distributed with a power law with exponential cut-off.