Learning, Innovating, and an Emerging Core of Knowledge: A Model for the Growth of Citation Networks

Abstract

Observations on the connectivity among intellectual artifacts often confirm a core-periphery structure: A clustered group of artifacts possess the core knowledge to the field, which is widely cited in artifacts at periphery. We explain this as an outcome resulted from knowledge innovating and knowledge seeking of individual players in the epistemic society. Our analytical model also sheds insights on how the heterogeneity of knowledge artifacts affects knowledge supply and the characteristics of knowledge core. We find through simulation that the core-periphery architecture of knowledge-semantic networks is robust to generalizations on artifact heterogeneity and knowledge creativity. When agent's information on existing knowledge is incomplete, "subcore"s might emerge from localized knowledge spillover. By studying the incentive rationale that underlies the growth of knowledge field, our research has implication on the design and practice of scientific/epistemic communities.

Keywords: core-periphery, citation networks, innovation, diffusion, analytical model, simulation