Structural Effects of Knowledge Network on Knowledge Flow

In this paper, we first propose a computational model. Then on the basis of a virtual peer-to-peer knowledge network constructed, we investigate how the knowledge energies of agents with different structural characteristics evolve and how diverse connecting mechanisms influence the evolution of the knowledge energy of the focal network. The simulation results indicate that (1) agents with high brokerage opportunities or high centrality enhance their knowledge energies more rapidly (2) knowledge flow through a knowledge network seems to be affected significantly by the characteristics of the agents who build the knowledge connections inside a network.