Optimal Network Modularity for Information Diffusion

We investigate the impact of community structure on information diffusion with the linear threshold model. Our results demonstrate that modular structure may have counterintuitive effects on information diffusion when social reinforcement is present. We show that strong communities can facilitate global diffusion by enhancing local, intracommunity spreading. Using both analytic approaches and numerical simulations, we demonstrate the existence of an optimal network modularity, where global diffusion requires the minimal number of early adopters.Received 8 January 2014DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.088701© 2014 American Physical Society