The Barabási–Albert model

The Barabási–Albert model describes how many real-world networks, like social or internet networks, develop over time. It explains that new nodes (like people or websites) tend to connect more often to already well-connected nodes—called "preferential attachment." This results in some nodes becoming highly connected hubs, creating a network with a few highly influential nodes and many smaller ones. The model captures the natural process of growth and popularity, producing a scale-free network structure commonly observed in various complex systems.