Identity and Search in Social Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a model explaining how social networks are searchable through recognizable personal identities, enabling efficient message routing to distant targets, with potential applications in various network search problems.

Contribution

The paper proposes a new model based on personal identities that explains social network searchability and offers a general method applicable to multiple network search scenarios.

Findings

Defines a class of searchable networks based on personal identities

Provides a method for efficient search in these networks

Applicable to peer-to-peer, web, and distributed database searches

Abstract

Social networks have the surprising property of being "searchable": Ordinary people are capable of directing messages through their network of acquaintances to reach a specific but distant target person in only a few steps. We present a model that offers an explanation of social network searchability in terms of recognizable personal identities: sets of characteristics measured along a number of social dimensions. Our model defines a class of searchable networks and a method for searching them that may be applicable to many network search problems, including the location of data files in peer-to-peer networks, pages on the World Wide Web, and information in distributed databases.