title: Random acyclic networks.
abstract: Directed acyclic graphs make up a fundamental class of networks that includes citation networks, food webs, and family trees, among others. Here we define a random graph model for directed acyclic graphs and give solutions for a number of the model's properties, including connection probabilities and component sizes, as well as a fast algorithm for simulating the model on a computer. We compare the predictions of the model to a real-world network of citations between physics papers and find surprisingly good agreement, suggesting that the structure of the real network may be quite well described by the random graph.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karrer
authors.forename: M E J
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Newman
mesh_terms: D020387:Food Chain; D008962:Models, Theoretical