Investigating the structural formation system of modern simplified Chinese characters from a complex network perspective

Abstract Chinese characters hold pivotal significance in the development of Eastern civilization. While their structural formation exhibits a systematic nature, system science approaches are seldom seen in analyzing the formation system. Therefore, based on complex network methods, this study aims to examine macro-scale network features and the essential system properties of modern simplified Chinese characters. Specifically, three types of networks were constructed: co-occurrence, directed, and weighted networks, along with their random counterparts. In these networks, primitive components served as nodes, and their relationships as edges. Subsequently, seventeen general network metrics were measured to analyze the network features, enabling deeper discussion of the system properties. Research results show that component networks exhibit five distinct network features compared to their random counterparts, including small-world feature, scale-free feature, disassortative mixing, high centrality, and hierarchical organization. These features demonstrate that the formation system displays three properties, namely complexity, robustness, and economy, which emerge respectively from organized, close-knit, and efficient component combinations. These findings serve as a significant supplement to the empirical research on the structural formation system of Chinese characters.