Orientation in Social Networks

TL;DR

This paper explores how the structure and individual attributes of social networks influence the efficiency of search processes, introducing an intimacy-based model that explains rapid navigation and hub limitations.

Contribution

It presents a novel method to reconstruct node intimacy based on local interactions and demonstrates its role in efficient social network navigation.

Findings

Intimacy decays exponentially with shortest path length.

The model explains the presence of hubs and their limitations.

Efficient search is driven by intimacy dynamics.

Abstract

Stanley Milgram's small world experiment presents "six degrees of separation" of our world. One phenomenon of the experiment still puzzling us is that how individuals operating with the social network information with their characteristics can be very adept at finding the short chains. The previous works on this issue focus whether on the methods of navigation in a given network structure, or on the effects of additional information to the searching process. In this paper, we emphasize that the growth and shape of network architecture is tightly related to the individuals' attributes. We introduce a method to reconstruct nodes' intimacy degree based on local interaction. Then we provide an intimacy based approach for orientation in networks. We find that the basic reason of efficient search in social networks is that the degree of "intimacy" of each pair of nodes decays with the length of their shortest path exponentially. Meanwhile, the model can explain the hubs limitation which was observed in real-world experiment.