Evolution Model and Critical Mass of E-business Platform Based on Complex Networks

E-business platform is of typical characteristics of networked market, in which the positive feedback mechanism leads to platform success provided that the number of platform users surpasses its critical mass. Otherwise, the platform would diminish and disappear in the market under the effect of the negative feedback mechanism. This paper, based on the complex network method, developed a dynamical model to describe the number of platform users varying with the time after the platform introduced into market. Then, we analyzed the influence factors and functional mechanisms in determining the critical mass of platform users based on the proposed platform diffusion model. Results show that (1) the platform user network structure and the user decision threshold value are the main factors to determine the critical mass of platform users (2) the heterogeneity of network structure (the standard deviation of degree distributions) is in roughly power function of the critical mass of platform users.