Eigenvector localization in real networks and its implications for epidemic spreading

The spectral properties of the adjacency matrix, in particular its largest eigenvalue and the associated principal eigenvector, dominate many structural and dynamical properties of complex networks. Here we focus on the localization properties of the principal eigenvector in real networks. We show that in most cases it is either localized on the star defined by the node with largest degree (hub) and its nearest neighbors, or on the densely...