Scale-free topology of e-mail networks

Holger Ebel; Lutz-Ingo Mielsch; Stefan Bornholdt

doi:10.1103/physreve.66.035103

Abstract

We study the topology of e-mail networks with e-mail addresses as nodes and e-mails as links using data from server log files. The resulting network exhibits a scale-free link distribution and pronounced small-world behavior, as observed in other social networks. These observations imply that the spreading of e-mail viruses is greatly facilitated in real e-mail networks compared to random architectures.

Keywords

Network topologyComputer scienceTopology (electrical circuits)Scale-free networkComputer networkScale (ratio)Distributed computingComplex networkMathematicsWorld Wide WebPhysicsCombinatorics

Affiliated Institutions

Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel DE

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Publication Info

Year: 2002
Type: article
Volume: 66
Issue: 3
Pages: 035103-035103
Citations: 935
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                    Holger Ebel, 
                                
                                    Lutz-Ingo Mielsch, 
                                
                                    Stefan Bornholdt
                                
                            (2002). 
                            Scale-free topology of e-mail networks. 
                            Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics
                            , 66
                            (3)
                            , 035103-035103.
                            https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.66.035103

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.66.035103