# Popularity and Innovation in Maven Central

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.02879 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02879/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 5 Feb 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [LLM Agents for Automated Dependency Upgrades](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.03480/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Maven Central is a large popular repository of Java components that has evolved over the last 20 years. The distribution of dependencies indicates that the repository is dominated by a relatively small number of components other components depend on. The question is whether those elites are static, or change over time, and how this relates to innovation in the Maven ecosystem. We study those questions using several metrics. We find that elites are dynamic, and that the rate of innovation is slowing as the repository ages but remains healthy.