Core-Periphery Structure

A core-periphery structure is a type of network structure in which core actors are densely interconnected, whereas periphery actors are sparsely interconnected and only connected to core actors. An ideal core-periphery structure consists of a core where actors are all linked with each other and a periphery where actors are only linked to those in the core but no one in the periphery. While the ideal core-periphery structure is very rare in practice, many social networks, as well as other complex networks, resemble a core-periphery structure to varying degrees, with a densely interconnected core surrounded by a sparse periphery. This entry discusses key features of the core-periphery structure, introduces popular methods for detecting such structures, and presents some examples.

The defining feature of a core-periphery structure ...