Awesome Social Network Simulation: From Random Graphs to Generative Agents

A collection of academic articles, published methodology, and datasets on the subject of Social Network Simulation from classical models to LLM-based agentic simulation.

• Taxonomy
• Network Models
• Information Diffusion
• Opinion Dynamics
• Rule-Based Agent-Based Models
• LLM-Based Agentic Simulation
• Datasets and Benchmarks
• Evaluation Metrics
• Contributing

Taxonomy

The survey organizes the field into five paradigm families:

• Network Models: topology generation and structural analysis for synthetic social graphs.
• Information Diffusion: epidemic, cascade, influence, rumor, and control models.
• Opinion Dynamics: averaging, bounded-confidence, polarization, and echo-chamber models.
• Rule-Based Agent-Based Models: heterogeneous bottom-up simulation with explicit agent rules.
• LLM-Based Agentic Simulation: persona-grounded, memory-enabled, language-driven social agents.

Each table below is grounded in the manuscript citations and keeps the paper title, year, category, venue, and repository or project link visible for quick scanning. Paper titles link to official publication or publisher pages when confidently resolved.

Network Models

Paper	Year	Category	Venue	Code
Homophily in An Artificial Social Network of Agents Powered By Large Language Models	2023	Attribute-driven generators	Br. J. Psychol.	-
Network segregation in a model of misinformation and fact-checking	2016	Attribute-driven generators	JCSS	-
Social network analysis and agent-based modeling in social epidemiology	2012	Exponential random graph models (ERGMs)	Epidemiol. Perspect. Innov.	-
Maximizing the Spread of Influence through a Social Network	2003	Scale-Free Networks	KDD	-
The Structure and Function of Complex Networks	2003	Random Graph Models	SIAM Review	-
Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks	1999	Scale-Free Networks	Science	NetworkX
Collective dynamics of `small-world' networks	1998	Small-World Networks	Nature	NetworkX
Social Network Effects on the Extent of Innovation Diffusion: A Computer Simulation	1997	Attribute-driven generators	Organ. Sci.	-
The Small World Problem	1967	Small-World Networks	Psychology Today	-
Diffusion of Innovations	1962	Attribute-driven generators	Free Press	-
On Random Graphs I	1959	Random Graph Models	Publ. Math. Debrecen	NetworkX

Information Diffusion

Paper	Year	Category	Venue	Code
CSRT rumor spreading model based on complex network	2021	Epidemic Compartment Models	IJIS	-
Dynamical behaviors and control measures of rumor-spreading model in consideration of the infected media and time delay	2021	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Inf. Sci.	-
Users' mobility enhances information diffusion in online social networks	2021	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	Inf. Sci.	-
Rumor Spreading Model Considering Individual Activity and Refutation Mechanism Simultaneously	2020	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	IEEE Access	-
The stochastic evolution of a rumor spreading model with two distinct spread inhibiting and attitude adjusting mechanisms in a homogeneous social network	2020	Epidemic Compartment Models	Physica A	-
Dynamical analysis of a IWSR rumor spreading model with considering the self-growth mechanism and indiscernible degree	2019	Epidemic Compartment Models	Physica A	-
Global dynamics analysis and control of a rumor spreading model in online social networks	2019	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Physica A	-
ILSR rumor spreading model with degree in complex network	2019	Epidemic Compartment Models	Physica A	-
Optimal Control of Rumor Spreading Model on Homogeneous Social Network with Consideration of Influence Delay of Thinkers	2019	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	DEDS	-
The impact of group propagation on rumor spreading in mobile social networks	2018	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Physica A	-
The Spread of True and False News Online	2018	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Science	-
SEIR Model of Rumor Spreading in Online Social Network with Varying Total Population Size	2017	Epidemic Compartment Models	Commun. Theor. Phys.	-
Stability analysis and control models for rumor spreading in online social networks	2017	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Int. J. Mod. Phys. C	-
Network segregation in a model of misinformation and fact-checking	2016	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	JCSS	-
A SIMULATION-BASED APPROACH TO ANALYZE THE INFORMATION DIFFUSION IN MICROBLOGGING ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK	2013	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	-	-
How to Identify an Infection Source With Limited Observations	2013	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	IEEE JSTSP	-
INFORMATION DIFFUSION IN FACEBOOK-LIKE SOCIAL NETWORKS UNDER INFORMATION OVERLOAD	2013	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	Int. J. Mod. Phys. C	-
Information diffusion model for spread of misinformation in online social networks	2013	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	ICACCI	-
Measuring trustworthiness of information diffusion by risk discovery process in social networking services	2013	Competitive and Rumor Dynamics	Qual. Quant.	-
Influential Neighbours Selection for Information Diffusion in Online Social Networks	2012	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	ICCCN	-
SIHR rumor spreading model in social networks	2012	Epidemic Compartment Models	Physica A	-
A game theoretical approach to broadcast information diffusion in social networks	2011	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	SpringSim	-
Simulation Investigation of Rumor Propagation in Microblogging Community	2011	Epidemic Compartment Models	Computer Engineering	-
Maximizing the Spread of Influence through a Social Network	2003	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	KDD	-
A Theory of Fads, Fashion, Custom, and Cultural Change as Informational Cascades	1992	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	JPE	-
Threshold Models of Collective Behavior	1978	Cascade Models: Independent Cascade and Linear Threshold	Am. J. Sociol.	-
Diffusion of Innovations	1962	Information Diffusion	Free Press	-

Opinion Dynamics

Paper	Year	Category	Venue	Code
Extending the Hegselmann-Krause Model of Opinion Dynamics to include AI Oracles	2025	Averaging Models: French-DeGroot and Friedkin-Johnsen	arXiv	Code
Opinion Dynamics and Collective Risk Perception: An Agent-Based Model of Institutional and Media Communication About Disasters	2021	Extensions and Modern Directions	JASSS	-
Modeling Public Opinion Polarization in Group Behavior by Integrating SIRS-Based Information Diffusion Process	2020	Bounded Confidence: Deffuant and Hegselmann-Krause	Complexity	-
Progressive Information Polarization in a Complex-Network Entropic Social Dynamics Model	2019	Bounded Confidence: Deffuant and Hegselmann-Krause	IEEE Access	-
Spiral of Silence in the Social Media Era: A Simulation Approach to the Interplay Between Social Networks and Mass Media	2019	Discrete and Stochastic Models	Communication Research	-
Opinion dynamics and bounded confidence: models, analysis and simulation	2002	Bounded Confidence: Deffuant and Hegselmann-Krause	JASSS	-
Mixing beliefs among interacting agents	2000	Bounded Confidence: Deffuant and Hegselmann-Krause	Adv. Complex Syst.	-
Social Influence and Opinions	1990	Averaging Models: French-DeGroot and Friedkin-Johnsen	J. Math. Sociol.	-
Reaching a Consensus	1974	Averaging Models: French-DeGroot and Friedkin-Johnsen	JASA	-
A formal theory of social power	1956	Averaging Models: French-DeGroot and Friedkin-Johnsen	Psychol. Rev.	-

Rule-Based Agent-Based Models

Paper	Year	Category	Venue	Code
The (Mis)Information Game: A social media simulator	2024	Other ABM diffusion studies	Behav. Res. Methods	Code
Effect of Seeding Strategy on the Efficiency of Brand Spreading in Complex Social Networks	2022	Other ABM diffusion studies	Front. Psychol.	-
Utilizing Python for Agent-Based Modeling: The Mesa Framework	2020	Implementation Frameworks	SCS	Code
WES: Agent-based User Interaction Simulation on Real Infrastructure	2020	Other ABM diffusion studies	ICSEW	-
Agent Based Simulation of Bot Disinformation Maneuvers in Twitter	2019	Bot-driven disinformation	WSC	-
Discrete Event System Specification-based framework for modeling and simulation of propagation phenomena in social networks: application to the information spreading in a multi-layer social network	2019	DEVS-based scheduling	SIMULATION	-
Simulating and evaluating generative modeling and collaborative filtering in complex social networks	2019	Other ABM diffusion studies	CCS	-
Policy simulation for promoting residential PV considering anecdotal information exchanges based on social network modelling	2018	Other ABM diffusion studies	Appl. Energy	-
A Survey of Agent-Based Approach of Complex Networks	2016	Implementation Frameworks	Ekonomik Yaklasim	-
Which Models Are Used in Social Simulation to Generate Social Networks? A Review of 17 Years of Publications in JASSS	2015	Implementation Frameworks	WSC	-
An Agent-Based Model of Urgent Diffusion in Social Media	2013	Urgent diffusion	JASSS	-
Complex adaptive systems modeling with Repast Simphony	2013	Implementation Frameworks	Complex Adapt. Syst. Model.	Code
Large-Scale Multi-agent-Based Modeling and Simulation of Microblogging-Based Online Social Network	2013	Other ABM diffusion studies	mAbs	-
Social network analysis and agent-based modeling in social epidemiology	2012	Real-infrastructure simulation	Epidemiol. Perspect. Innov.	-
Why Do People Use Social Media? Agent-Based Simulation and Population Dynamics Analysis of the Evolution of Cooperation in Social Media	2012	Other ABM diffusion studies	WI-IAT	-
The Spread of Behavior in an Online Social Network Experiment	2010	Complex contagion	Science	-
MASON: A Multiagent Simulation Environment	2005	Implementation Frameworks	Simulation	Code
NetLogo	1999	Implementation Frameworks	-	Code
Collective dynamics of `small-world' networks	1998	Complex contagion	Nature	-
Growing Artificial Societies: Social Science from the Bottom Up	1996	Sugarscape	MIT Press	-
Micromotives and Macrobehavior	1978	Schelling segregation	W. W. Norton & Company	-

LLM-Based Agentic Simulation

Paper	Year	Category	Venue	Code
Ahead of the Spread: Agent-Driven Virtual Propagation for Early Fake News Detection	2026	Misinformation and bot dynamics	arXiv	Code
Towards Simulating Social Media Users with LLMs: Evaluating the Operational Validity of Conditioned Comment Prediction	2026	Language-grounded cognition	-	Code
VIRENA: Virtual Arena for Research, Education, and Democratic Innovation	2026	Platform-level systems	-	-
AgentSociety: Large-Scale Simulation of LLM-Driven Generative Agents Advances Understanding of Human Behaviors and Society	2025	Toward artificial societies	arXiv	Code
AI Metropolis: Scaling Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Simulation with Out-of-order Execution	2025	Multi-Agent Coordination and Communication	MLSys	-
Attention Mechanism for LLM-based Agents Dynamic Diffusion under Information Asymmetry	2025	Platform-level systems	arXiv	-
BotSim: LLM-Powered Malicious Social Botnet Simulation	2025	Action spaces	AAAI	Code
Can Generative Agent-Based Modeling Replicate the Friendship Paradox in Social Media Simulations?	2025	Network structure emergence	WebSci	-
Can LLMs Simulate Social Media Engagement? A Study on Action-Guided Response Generation	2025	Language-grounded cognition	arXiv	-
Can We Fix Social Media? Testing Prosocial Interventions using Generative Social Simulation	2025	Prosocial interventions and political opinion	arXiv	Code
Decoding Echo Chambers: LLM-Powered Simulations Revealing Polarization in Social Networks	2025	Echo-chamber metrics	COLING	Code
Extending the Hegselmann-Krause Model of Opinion Dynamics to include AI Oracles	2025	Reproducing and extending classical phenomena	arXiv	Code
GA-S3: Comprehensive Social Network Simulation with Group Agents	2025	Multi-Agent Coordination and Communication	Findings of ACL	Code
Large Language Model Driven Agents for Simulating Echo Chamber Formation	2025	LLM as a drop-in replacement for classical update rules	arXiv	-
LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems are Scalable Graph Generative Models	2025	Scalable agent coordination	ACL	Code
MegaAgent: A Large-Scale Autonomous LLM-based Multi-Agent System Without Predefined SOPs	2025	Scalable agent coordination	Findings of ACL	Code
MTOS: A LLM-Driven Multi-topic Opinion Simulation Framework for Exploring Echo Chamber Dynamics	2025	Multi-topic opinion dynamics with bounded confidence	arXiv	-
Network Formation and Dynamics Among Multi-LLMs	2025	Emergent networks	PNAS Nexus	Code
RumorSphere: A Framework for Million-scale Agent-based Dynamic Simulation of Rumor Propagation	2025	Hybrid topology with adaptive role switching	-	-
Simulating Rumor Spreading in Social Networks using LLM Agents	2025	Platform-level systems	-	Code
User Behavior Simulation with Large Language Model-based Agents	2025	Persona and Identity Grounding	TOIS	Code
Affordable Generative Agents	2024	Cost-efficient inference	TMLR	Code
Can Large Language Model Agents Simulate Human Trust Behavior?	2024	Emergent social phenomena	NeurIPS	Code
ElectionSim: Massive Population Election Simulation Powered by Large Language Model Driven Agents	2024	Persona and Identity Grounding	arXiv	Code
Emergence of Social Norms in Generative Agent Societies: Principles and Architecture	2024	Norm emergence	IJCAI	Code
Exploring Collaboration Mechanisms for LLM Agents: A Social Psychology View	2024	Multi-Agent Coordination and Communication	ACL	Code
From skepticism to acceptance: simulating the attitude dynamics toward fake news	2024	Misinformation and bot dynamics	IJCAI	Code
Large Language Model-driven Multi-Agent Simulation for News Diffusion Under Different Network Structures	2024	Exogenous static networks	arXiv	-
Oasis: Open agent social interaction simulations with one million agents	2024	Planning and Goal-Directed Action	arXiv	Code
Project Sid: Many-agent simulations toward AI civilization	2024	Toward artificial societies	arXiv	Code
Shall We Team Up: Exploring Spontaneous Cooperation of Competing LLM Agents	2024	Emergent social phenomena	EMNLP	Code
Simulating Opinion Dynamics with Networks of LLM-based Agents	2024	Multi-Agent Coordination and Communication	Findings of NAACL	Code
Sotopia: Interactive evaluation for social intelligence in language agents	2024	Emergent social phenomena	ICLR	Code
The Stepwise Deception: Simulating the Evolution from True News to Fake News with LLM Agents	2024	Misinformation and bot dynamics	EMNLP	Code
Unveiling the Truth and Facilitating Change: Towards Agent-based Large-scale Social Movement Simulation	2024	Prosocial interventions and political opinion	ACL	Code
Very Large-Scale Multi-Agent Simulation in AgentScope	2024	Cost-efficient inference	arXiv	Code
Y Social: an LLM-powered Social Media Digital Twin	2024	Memory: Episodic, Semantic, and Reflective	arXiv	Code
Emergence of Scale-Free Networks in Social Interactions among Large Language Models	2023	Emergent networks	arXiv	-
Generative agents: Interactive simulacra of human behavior	2023	Agent Architecture for Social Simulation	UIST	Code
Homophily in An Artificial Social Network of Agents Powered By Large Language Models	2023	Emergent networks	Br. J. Psychol.	-
Humanoid Agents: Platform for Simulating Human-like Generative Agents	2023	Persona and Identity Grounding	EMNLP	Code
S3: Social-network Simulation System with Large Language Model-Empowered Agents	2023	Memory: Episodic, Semantic, and Reflective	arXiv	-
Simulating Social Media Using Large Language Models to Evaluate Alternative News Feed Algorithms	2023	Multi-Agent Coordination and Communication	arXiv	-
Theory of Mind for Multi-Agent Collaboration via Large Language Models	2023	Planning and Goal-Directed Action	EMNLP	Code
War and peace (waragent): Large language model-based multi-agent simulation of world wars	2023	Planning and Goal-Directed Action	arXiv	Code
Social Simulacra: Creating Populated Prototypes for Social Computing Systems	2022	Agent Architecture for Social Simulation	UIST	-
Growing Artificial Societies: Social Science from the Bottom Up	1996	Toward artificial societies	MIT Press	-
Micromotives and Macrobehavior	1978	Norm emergence	W. W. Norton & Company	-

Datasets and Benchmarks

The survey catalogues 21 published datasets and benchmarks for validating structural fidelity, temporal dynamics, behavioral realism, and platform-scale effects. The table below highlights the main benchmark families surfaced in the paper appendix.

Category	Benchmark / Dataset	Platform	Evaluation Task	Used In
Political Behavior and Elections	PPE Benchmark	Twitter	Voter preference prediction	ElectionSim
	ANES 2020	Survey	Demographic calibration	ElectionSim
	ITA-ELECTION-22	Twitter	Political conversation simulation	SOSMC
User Behavior and Engagement	Vaccination Engagement	X	Action-guided engagement	CLSSM
	CCP-DE	X	Comment prediction (DE)	TSSMU
	CCP-EN	X	Comment prediction (EN)	TSSMU
	CCP-LU	RTL	Comment prediction (LU)	TSSMU
	Y Social traces	Synthetic	Digital-twin validation	Y Social
Misinformation and Rumor	Rumor Event Suite	Twitter	Temporal rumor dynamics	RumorSphere
	BotSim-24	Reddit	Adversarial bot simulation	BotSim
	FPS Fake-News	Synthetic	Attitude dynamics to fake news	FPS
	FUSE Mutation	Synthetic	Stepwise news deception	FUSE
Controversial-Topic Propagation	Gender Discrimination	Weibo	Emotion and event propagation	S3
	Nuclear Energy	Weibo	Attitude-change propagation	S3
Opinion Dynamics and Echo Chambers	LLM Opinion Dynamics	Synthetic	Opinion convergence	SODNL
	OASIS Twitter-like	Synthetic	Group polarization	OASIS
	OASIS Reddit-like	Synthetic	Herd effect and misinformation	OASIS
Network Structure	SNAP Collection	Multi	Network analysis and topology generation	NetworkX, igraph

Evaluation Metrics

The survey groups 22 evaluation metrics into seven core evaluation goals. The table below summarizes the metric families that recur throughout the paper.

Category	Metric	Formula / Description	Usage
Structural Fidelity	Degree distribution	P(k) = Pr(deg(v)=k); scale-free often fits P(k) ∝ k^{-γ}.	Validates topology realism (heavy-tail, hubs) of generated networks.
	Clustering coefficient	Local: C_i = 2T_i / (k_i (k_i-1)), where T_i is triangles incident to node i.	Measures triadic closure; high clustering indicates community / small-world structure.
	Average path length	L = (2/(N(N-1))) · Σ_{i<j} d(i,j).	Checks global reachability and small-world effect (L typically grows like log N).
	Assortativity coefficient	Pearson correlation of endpoint attributes across edges; degree-assortativity often reported as r.	Quantifies homophily/heterophily (e.g., r > 0 assortative, r < 0 disassortative).
Dynamic and Temporal Fidelity	Pearson correlation	r = cov(x, y) / (σ_x σ_y).	Tests temporal synchronization between simulated and empirical trajectories.
	DTW distance	DTW(X,Y) = min_π Σ_{(i,j)∈π} δ(x_i, y_j) over warping paths π.	Sequence alignment with time-warping; used for cascade / activity curve matching.
	DeltaBias	ΔBias = Bias(sim) - Bias(emp) (or absolute gap).	Measures directional error in simulated bias vs. an empirical baseline.
	DeltaDiversity	ΔDiversity = Div(sim) - Div(emp) (or absolute gap).	Evaluates whether content / exposure diversity is preserved during propagation.
Opinion and Polarization	Polarization P_z	Variance proxy: P_z = (1/N) · Σ_i (x_i - x̄)^2.	Tracks population-level opinion dispersion (convergence vs. fragmentation).
	Global disagreement	Edge-averaged distance, e.g. GD = (1/|E|) · Σ_{(i,j)∈E} |x_i - x_j|.	Captures cross-edge heterogeneity (echo-chamber separation yields higher disagreement).
	Neighbour correlation index (NCI)	NCI = (1/|E|) · Σ_{(i,j)∈E} 1[|x_i - x_j| < ε].	Quantifies local homogeneity (fraction of “similar” neighbors under tolerance ε).
	Spectral gap	Often reported via the second eigenvalue, e.g. gap = 1 - |λ_2(W)| for mixing matrix W.	Measures convergence/mixing speed; larger gap typically implies faster consensus.
Diffusion and Influence	Reproduction number R_0	Basic ratio form (SIR-style): R_0 = β/γ (infection rate over recovery rate).	Checks whether diffusion is supercritical (R_0 > 1) or dies out (R_0 < 1).
	Influence spread	Expected activated count: σ(S) = E[|Activated(S)|] from seed set S.	Evaluates seed effectiveness and reach under IC/LT-style cascade processes.
	Cascade size	Final activated / infected count (or its distribution) over runs.	Measures total reach of an information cascade and validates diffusion intensity.
Behavioral Alignment	Micro-F1	F1 = 2PR/(P+R) computed with micro-aggregated counts.	Per-instance prediction quality (e.g., stance/action classification, voter prediction).
	Action distribution divergence	KL: D_KL(P||Q)=Σ_a P(a) log(P(a)/Q(a)); JS is a symmetric alternative.	Checks whether simulated engagement/action frequencies match real logs.
	Cosine similarity	cos(e_a,e_b) = (e_a·e_b)/(||e_a||·||e_b||) for embedding vectors.	Semantic alignment between simulated content and reference content.
	State-level accuracy	Acc = (# correct states)/(# total states).	Validates discrete outcomes (e.g., election results, topic/state transitions).
Efficiency and Scalability	Confusion index	Heuristic for “hard” cases (model-dependent; typically combines uncertainty and disagreement signals).	Enables selective LLM invocation (route easy steps to cheap rules; hard steps to LLMs).
	Token reduction	TR = Tokens(baseline) / Tokens(method) (or relative % reduction).	Quantifies compute savings from hybrid scheduling, caching, summarization, etc.
	Wall-clock cost	Measured runtime / $ cost per simulation step or per episode.	Assesses feasibility at scale (million-agent runs, long horizons, repeated trials).
Adversarial Robustness	Detector accuracy drop	ΔAcc = Acc(clean) - Acc(attack).	Stress-tests defenses against LLM-driven bots and adversarial coordination strategies.

Disclaimer

Feel free to contact us if you have any queries or exciting news on social network simulation. In addition, we welcome all researchers to contribute to this repository and further contribute to the knowledge of social network simulation fields. It would be great if contributions keep the repository aligned with the survey taxonomy

If you have some other related references, please feel free to create a Github issue with the paper information. We will glady update the repos according to your suggestions. (You can also create pull requests, but it might take some time for us to do the merge)

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