Winning isn't for everyone. We construct and develop the analysis for Herbert Simon's 1955 Rich-get-Richer model for producing power-law size distributions. We show how that Simon's analysis missed the first-mover advantage, and that the first mover can dominate the system. PoCSologists will get to work on the fun inside parts. Universality of algorithm: Versions of the rich-get-richer mechanism drive are behind systems of all kinds, and we'll return to this with complex networks later on. We show how well Simon's model works for both ends of the power-law size distribution for real data. We tour the history of Zipf's law starting in the early 1900s, follow the evolution of framings and catchphrases, and experience some jolts of Robert Merton's genius. "Show me the Pyramid Scheme!"

"The rich are different because they have more money."

2020/09/25

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