A modular attachment mechanism for software network evolution

Hui Li, Hai Zhao, Wei Cai, Jiu-Qiang Xu and Jun Ai

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2013, vol. 392, issue 9, 2025-2037

Abstract: A modular attachment mechanism of software network evolution is presented in this paper. Compared with the previous models, our treatment of object-oriented software system as a network of modularity is inherently more realistic. To acquire incoming and outgoing links in directed networks when new nodes attach to the existing network, a new definition of asymmetric probabilities is given. Based on this, modular attachment instead of single node attachment in the previous models is then adopted. The proposed mechanism is demonstrated to be able to generate networks with features of power-law, small-world, and modularity, which represents more realistic properties of actual software networks. This work therefore contributes to a more accurate understanding of the evolutionary mechanism of software systems. What is more, explorations of the effects of various software development principles on the structure of software systems have been carried out, which are expected to be beneficial to the software engineering practices.

Keywords: Software networks; Evolutionary mechanisms; Modular attachment; Asymmetric probabilities; Power-law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:392:y:2013:i:9:p:2025-2037

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2013.01.035

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