TITLE:
An Analysis of the Shi Clan Connections in the Wei-Jin and North-South Dynasties Based on the Character Network of Shishuoxinyu
AUTHORS:
Jianming Cen, Peiyuan Jin, Quanxi Feng
KEYWORDS:
Complex Network, Shishuoxinyu, Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties, Scale-Free Network, Scholarly Gatekeepers
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Computer and Communications,
Vol.10 No.5,
May
31,
2022
ABSTRACT: Shishuoxinyu is a collection of anecdotal stories about the words and deeds of Wei and Jin characters. In this paper, we build a complex network with characters in Shishuoxinyu to analyze the scholarly connections in the Wei-Jin and North-South dynasties. The ER random graph, WS small-world network, BA scale-free network, and experimental network are constructed for comparison. The network properties of the experimental network were analyzed using the average degree, average clustering coefficient, and average path length. Degree centrality, mesoscopic centrality, and proximity centrality were selected to understand the importance of the experimental network nodes, and it was found that the king guide had the highest importance in the whole experimental network. Then, through the observation of network degree distribution, this experimental network is considered as a scale-free network with robustness and vulnerability, which is in line with the political characteristics of the Wei-Jin and Northern Dynasties. Finally, ten larger-scale Shi clans are selected to construct a new network for inter-clan linkage analysis. This study helps to uncover the reasons for the rise and fall of the Shi clans during the Wei-Jin and North-South dynasties.