Mathematicians are always pushing the forefront of search and this approach is something discussed as a way to improve search engine algorithm.

Contrasting this approach with the link analysis system, temporal analysis extends the value of links to consider the time element. In SEO terms, it basically says that long term and stable links are more important. The downside of course if this is implemented is that newer sites with newer links will not stand a chance against the more established sites with more established links.

Here are some papers on temporal analysis to chew on:

Temporal Link Analysis (research paper)

Temporal Link Analysis of Linked Entities (USPTO patent)=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20040128273.PGNR.&OS=DN/20040128273&RS=DN/20040128273