Critical Truths About Power Laws

2012/02/09 by Michael P. H. Stumpf, Mason A. Porter · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis

paper · doi:10.1126/science.1216142

openalex publication_date 2012/02/09 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Most reported power laws lack statistical support and mechanistic backing.

Citations

• Is the Geometry of Nature Fractal?
• Probability models for degree distributions of protein interaction networks
• Power-law distributions in empirical data
• Emergence of scaling in random networks
• More Is Different
• Simple mathematical models with very complicated dynamics
• Statistical mechanics of complex networks

Cited by

• On a Possible Unified Scaling Law for Volcanic Eruption Durations
• Scale‐free power‐laws as interaction between progress and diffusion
• Power law [wikipedia]