Chapter 2

Human Social Networks

Abstract

In this chapter, we present a review of the properties of social networks in offline and online environments. We begin by looking at a social network from a macroscopic level and show how social networks can naturally be represented as graphs. We present complex network indices aimed at describing the overall structure of these graphs. Then, we introduce the concepts of tie strength and interaction graphs (i.e. network graphs where relationships are weighted by their strength), and we discuss the key role of tie strength in the formation of social structures in the network. Hence, we look at a social network at a microscopic level, by analysing the portion of social networks formed around individuals ...

Get Online Social Networks now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.