2024-11-0920051539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.72.0551022-s2.0-28844460741https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14288/862We show that the collapsed globular phase of a polymer accommodates a scale-free incompatibility graph of its contacts. The degree distribution of this network is found to decay with the exponent gamma=1/(2-c) up to a cutoff degree d(c)proportional to L2-c, where c is the loop exponent for dense polymers (c=11/8 in two dimensions) and L is the length of the polymer. Our results exemplify how a scale-free network can emerge from standard criticality.pdfPhysicsMathematical physicsJournal Article1550-2376https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.72.055102233603200002Q1NOIR00794