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Sem 5 Prep
← Visual AnalyticsNodes, edges and the shape of a network

Formulas for this chapter

Density (undirected)

Density = e / (n(n-1)/2)

Whenever a question asks how connected an undirected network is overall. Count the edges first, and check with sum of degrees = 2e.

e
Number of edges actually present
n
Number of nodes, including singletons
n(n-1)/2
Maximum possible edges if every node joined every other

Density (directed)

Density = e / (n(n-1))

For a directed network, where each pair can be joined in both directions, so the maximum is twice the undirected one. Say which formula you are using; the two answers differ by exactly a factor of 2.

e
Number of directed edges (arrows)
n
Number of nodes
n(n-1)
Maximum possible directed edges

Degree sum check

SUM of degrees = 2e (undirected) · SUM in-degrees = SUM out-degrees = e (directed)

After counting edges or degrees, before any centrality arithmetic. It catches a missed or double-counted edge in one line.

degree
Number of edges at a node
e
Number of edges in the network
Step 2 of 27
The real wordsTheory

Why network analysis at all

The deck gives four reasons, and an exam answer should use its words.

  • Analysing relationships: investigating the connections between nodes, and how those connections affect the network
  • Identifying patterns: detecting regularities or anomalies in the structure
  • Understanding dynamics: how changes in the network affect its functionality
  • Usable metrics: turning unstructured or semi-structured public feeds from Twitter or LinkedIn into structured data with metrics you can analyse
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