High-dimensional random Apollonian networks

We propose a simple algorithm which produces a new category of networks, high-dimensional random Apollonian networks, with small-world and scale-free characteristics. We derive analytical expressions for their degree distributions and clustering coefficients which are determined by the dimension of the network. The values obtained for these parameters are in good agreement with simulation results and comparable to those coming from real networks. We estimate also analytically that the average path length of the networks increases at most logarithmically with the number of vertices. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.