Abstract

The generalized scale invariance of complex networks, whose trademark feature is the power law distributions of key structural properties like node degree, has recently been questioned on the basis of statistical testing of samples from model and real data. This has important implications on the dynamic origins of network self-organization and consequently, on the general interpretation of their function and resilience. However, a well-known mechanism of departure from scale invariance is the presence of finite size effects. Developed for critical phenomena, finite size scaling analysis assesses whether an underlying scale invariance is clouded by a sample limited in size. Our approach sorts out when we may reject the hypothesis that the inherent structure of networks is scale invariant.