Genealized collaboration networks in software systems: a case study of Linux kernels

Abstract

The collaboration relationships between header files in the source code of Linux kernels are analyzed by constructing a weighted Header File Collaboration Network (HFCN): each node represents a header file; two nodes are connected if corresponding header files are both included in the same source file at least once; also the link weight is assigned to evaluate the intensity of co-inclusion of two header files. Through using appropriate non-weighted and weighted quantities, structural properties of two kinds of HFCN networks(HFCN-I and HFCN-II) are characterized and analyzed. The study of Linux kernels from the viewpoint of complex networks can provide a better description of the organizational principles and evolving mechanism of complex software systems.

Keywords

complex network / generalized collaboration network / Linux kernel / header file collaboration network (HFCN) / topological properties / weighted quantities