Theoretical Concepts of Network Analysis

Abstract

Generally speaking, a network is a set of links (ties or edges) and objects (nodes or vertices). These objects could be people, rivers, roads, computers, cities, etc., while links may represent relationships such as friendship, kinship, sexual relationships, the flow of information, etc. Kinds of networks include computer networks, neural networks, semantic networks, food web, supply chain networks, friendship networks, information networks, etc. Network representation borrows some of its notations (e.g., nodes and links) from graph theory and other notations (e.g., the actor-network theory) from social theories.