Complex Networks Theory and Agent-based Social Networks: A Synopsis


By: Shah Jamal Alam
Date: 22nd November 2006 (uploaded)
CPM Report No.: CPM-06-168

Original date: 20th October 2005
Presented at the 9th Doctoral Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, March 2006.


Abstract

In this review, I survey some of the most important concepts in the field of the so-called ‘complex networks’, and some classical and recent applications in various disciplines. Social networks are introduced in Section 2, and an overview of the traditional analysis techniques is presented. Section 3 addresses the issue of the techniques and issues that arise in the fieldwork research about social networks. I discuss, in Section 4, some recent critique of the traditional social networks analyses techniques and the ideas to tackle their dynamics, as presented researchers in the field. Finally, Section 5 discusses the used of agent-based modeling in the study of social networks.  

Keywords: Complexity, complex networks, agent-based social networks


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