Spreading dynamics of an online social information model on scale-free networks

In order to study the influence of the comment mechanism and the heterogeneity of underlying networks on the spreading of online social information, we present a new ICST (ignoramus-commentator-sharer-stifler) online social information spreading model based on scale-free networks. By using the mean-field theory, the spreading dynamics of the model is analyzed in detail. Then, the basic reproductive number R0 and equilibriums are derived. Theoretical results show that the basic reproduction number is significantly dependent on the topology of the underlying networks. The relationships among the basic reproduction number R0, sharing rate, effective comment rate are studied. Furthermore, the global stability of the information-elimination equilibrium, the permanence of online social information spreading and the global attractivity of information-prevailing equilibrium are proved in detail. In addition, we study the influence of weight in networks and analyze the corresponding of dynamics behaviors. The adaptive weight cannot change the basic reproductive number, but it can weaken the information spreading. Numerical simulations confirmed the analytical results.