Evolution of Social Networks

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 261 pages
• Published by: Routledge
• Edition: 1st Edition April 1, 1997
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 9056995383
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-9056995386
• Book Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 1.1 pounds

Product Description
Taken from a special issue of the journal Mathematical Sociology, Evolution of Social Networks answers the question of whether we can apply evolutionary theories to our understanding of the development of social structures. Social life emerges as soon as persons establish relations with each other. Regardless of the specific social processes, these relations evolve into networks with coherent structures, structures that provide some actors with opportunities for action while impeding the progress of others.
Social networks have increasingly become the focus of many social scientists as a way of analyzing these social structures. While many powerful network analytic tools have been developed and applied to a wide range of empirical phenomena, understanding the evolution of social organization still requires theories and analyses of social network evolutionary processes. Researchers from a variety of disciplines have combined their efforts in what is an indication of some very promis

Reader Reviews
In light of all the recent startups in the social networking field, this book offers a sober and scholarly assessment of the main concepts. Written by scientists, and for scientists, it avoids the hype promulgated by various websites like Ryze, Friendster and LinkedIn. The book studies what we might, perhaps, be able to learn from a close analysis of social dynamics. The treatment is heavily mathematical, and is not for a casual reader. It should be noted that any insights that might be extracted from the book, and applied in a website, may not be protected by a patent filing. Since the book constitutes a public dissemination of its ideas. So such insights unfortunately have little protection.