Quantitative Reasoning

Networks
KEY CONCEPTS
H. Ghaedamini (PhD)
(Ali)

stahgh@nus.edu.sg
Instructor
Department of Statistics and Applied Probability
1

1- What is a Network?
A group of objects linked together, a link means a well-defined relation between the objects.

B
A

Vertex: City
C

Edge: Direct flight

Vertex set V={A, B, C, D}

Edge set E={AB, BC}

2- Some definitions
Degree of a vertex: number of graph edges which touch the vertex
In this module, we are working with simple networks. Thus, you will not see something like
this:
B
A
Order of a network: size of the vertex set or in simpler words, number of vertices
B

Size of a network: number of edges

Order = 4
Size = 4

D
3

2- Some definition (Cont)

Distance in a network: shortest path between two nodes
d(A,B) = 2
A

Adjacency matrix: it is a square matrix to represent a network with elements of the matrix
indicating if pairs of vertices are adjacent.
2
3
1
4

1
2
3
4

1
0
1
0
0

2
1
0
1
1

3
0
1
0
1

4
0
1
1
0

3- Small world
Milgrams Experiment
Six degree of separation

Bacon number

4- Centrality measures
Closeness centrality measure

1
=1 (, )

Degree centrality measure

deg()
D =
1

V1

u
V2
..

V3

.
Vn-1

Betweenness centrality measure: How many shortest paths between any pair of vertices pass
through the specific node.
Differtent centrality measures for different applications.

Disclaimer
This document serves as supplementary reading material and is not to be seen as any modules
syllabus

This document is subjected to errors and changes at any time, and author is not liable for any
effects of the change