Small worlds and clustering in spatial networks

Networks with underlying metric spaces attract increasing research attention in network science, statistical physics, applied mathematics, computer science, sociology, and other fields. This attention is further amplified by the current surge of activity in graph embedding. In the vast realm of spatial network models, only a few reproduce even the most basic properties of real-world networks. Here, we focus on three such propertiessparsity, small worldness, and clusteringand identify the general subclass of spatial homogeneous and heterogeneous network models that are sparse small worlds and that have nonzero clustering in the thermodynamic limit. We rely on the maximum entropy approach where network links correspond to noninteracting fermions whose energy dependence on spatial distances determines network small worldness and clustering.