Perception of similarity: a model for social network dynamics

Some properties of social networks (e. g., the mixing patterns and the community structure) appear deeply influenced by the individual perception of people. In this work we map behaviors by considering similarity and popularity of people, also assuming that each person has his/her proper perception and interpretation of similarity. Although investigated in different ways (depending on the specific scientific framework), from a computational perspective similarity is typically calculated as a distance measure. In accordance with this view, to represent social network dynamics we developed an agent-based model on top of a hyperbolic space on which individual distance measures are calculated. Simulations, performed in accordance with the proposed model, generate small-world networks that exhibit a community structure. We deem this model to be valuable for analyzing the relevant properties of real social networks.