Simple and accurate analytical calculation of shortest path lengths

Abstract: We present an analytical approach to calculating the distribution of shortest paths lengths (also called intervertex distances, or geodesic paths) between nodes in unweighted undirected networks. We obtain very accurate results for synthetic random networks with specified degree distribution (the so-called configuration model networks). Our method allows us to accurately predict the distribution of shortest path lengths on real-world networks using their degree distribution, or joint degree-degree distribution. Compared to some other methods, our approach is simpler and yields more accurate results. In order to obtain the analytical results, we use the analogy between an infection reaching a node in $n$ discrete time steps (i.e., as in the susceptible-infected epidemic model) and that node being at a distance $n$ from the source of the infection.