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Are social networks different to other types of networks?

The structural properties of social networks have long purported to be different to other types of complex networks. Here, we re-evaluate some of these differences in order to assess whether they are truly distinguishable from non-social networks. We evaluate many network properties using new methods for fitting degree distributions, testing for assortativity and beyond nearest neighbour correlations, and other properties said to be common to social networks. We examine existing theories for forming social networks and assess how they match with empirical results.

About Pádraig MacCarron

Dr Pádraig MacCarron is a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Limerick. His research is on complex networks with a particular focus on social networks, their structure and formation processes. He has worked on datasets in areas such as psychology, health, medieval literature as well as non-human primate social networks.

About Shane Mannion

Shane is a 3^rd year PhD student studying in the University of Limerick, Ireland. He has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences, obtained at the University of Limerick as well. He mainly works on correlations on complex networks,  their degree distributions, and the differences between networks of differing distributions.  His interests in the field are varied, and he has recently began work on the spread of information on networks.

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