Title
Multiplexity and multireciprocity in directed multiplexes.
Abstract
Real-world multilayer networks feature nontrivial dependencies among links of different layers. Here we argue that if links are directed, then dependencies are twofold. Besides the ordinary tendency of links of different layers to align as the result of "multiplexity," there is also a tendency to antialign as a result of what we call "multireciprocity," i.e., the fact that links in one layer can be reciprocated by opposite links in a different layer. Multireciprocity generalizes the scalar definition of single-layer reciprocity to that of a square matrix involving all pairs of layers. We introduce multiplexity and multireciprocity matrices for both binary and weighted multiplexes and validate their statistical significance against maximum-entropy null models that filter out the effects of node heterogeneity. We then perform a detailed empirical analysis of the world trade multiplex (WTM), representing the import-export relationships between world countries in different commodities. We show that the WTM exhibits strong multiplexity and multireciprocity, an effect which is, however, largely encoded into the degree or strength sequences of individual layers. The residual effects are still significant and allow us to classify pairs of commodities according to their tendency to be traded together in the same direction and/or in opposite ones. We also find that the multireciprocity of the WTM is significantly lower than the usual reciprocity measured on the aggregate network. Moreover, layers with low (high) internal reciprocity are embedded within sets of layers with comparably low (high) mutual multireciprocity. This suggests that, in the WTM, reciprocity is inherent to groups of related commodities rather than to individual commodities. We discuss the implications for international trade research focusing on product taxonomies, the product space, and fitness and complexity metrics.
Year
DOI
Venue
2014
10.1103/PhysRevE.94.042316
PHYSICAL REVIEW E
Field
DocType
Volume
Topology,Discrete mathematics,Vertex (geometry),Matrix (mathematics),Bridging (networking),Scalar (physics),Square matrix,Reciprocity (social psychology),Classical mechanics,Mathematics,Binary number
Journal
94
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
4
2470-0045
2
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.64
2
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Valerio Gemmetto120.64
Tiziano Squartini26711.86
Francesco Picciolo3313.55
Franco Ruzzenenti4385.36
Diego Garlaschelli59018.49