Search in Combined Social and Wireless Communication Networks: Delay and Success Analysis

This paper models and analyzes the problem of search (navigation) with local information in combined social and wireless communication networks. Social networks are modeled with short-range and long-range connections representing small-world and scale-free network characteristics. By distinguishing the delay and success probability on different link types, the end-to-end delay distribution and success probability are first derived as functions of the social separation from the destination. New routing algorithms are then developed to improve the delay and chain completion success, and the effects of delay deadline on success probability are evaluated. The analysis is extended to the multi-layer combined social and communication network model, where wireless communication becomes the underlay to route information with the aid of social connections. The analytical results on delay and success probability are validated by comparing them with search results on a real-world social and communication network. Results of this paper show how social connections can help reduce the search delay and increase the success probability in chain completion that runs on interdependent social and wireless communication network structures.