A FRACTAL-GRAPH APPROACH TO LARGE NETWORKS

A fractal-graph approach is proposed to complement the usual graph-theoretic methods which are critically limited when applied to large networks with their continued growth and dynamic characteristics. This fractal-graph approach uses the sometimes hidden underlying order inherent in typical networks and focusses on their global properties. This allows a prescription both for the growth of these complex networks and a framework for characterizing them in new ways. The authors demonstrate this idea for 200-node fractal graphs of varying fractal dimension and introduce additional fractal descriptors to provide a more complete characterization.