Graph Theory and Social Networks

Many systems, including networks, computer programs and social systems can be specified using the so called ‘ball and stick’ model, in which individual units (nodes) are connected (by edges) to others.

The mathematical study of graph topologies has produced results whose significance has yet to be fully exploited. Examples include the Small World Network phenomenon in which all individuals in a large population are found to be connected to each other by a small number of links – a result recently exploited within the group to create a highly scalable peer to peer routing protocol.

Other results offer a perspective on the adaptivity, scalablity and robustness of different network topologies. However, exploitation domains are not restricted to network design and routing strategies. This field is also relevant to the development of tools and techniques for community and information management which are sensitive to the relationships between individuals, machines, data sources and other entities in the enterprise.

ArchiveResearch: SWAN, SWORD