Network reduction via the linlog energy model

The following is from Noack's 2007 paper Energy Models for network Clustering:

Edge-repulsion LinLog energy minimizes the ratio of the mean distance between connected end nodes to the mean distance between all end nodes.

The beauty of edge repulsion lies in its symmetry: Edges cause both attraction and repulsion. In other words, nodes that attract strongly also repulse strongly. More precisely, each node has consistently (in terms of attraction and repulsion) an influence on the layout proportional to its degree.