This topic elaborates on the quantitative characterization of network structure through fundamental and derived measures that define connectivity, cohesion, and resilience. Degree, density, and path length are presented as baseline metrics for describing the reach and efficiency of relational systems. The computational complexity of calculating these metrics—ranging from constant-time degree computation to the O(|V|(|V|+|E|)) all-pairs shortest path problem—is discussed as a practical limitation in large-scale social networks.

The decomposition of graphs into components and subgraphs is introduced to expose structural segmentation and its sociological implications, while computational methods such as BFS, DFS, and percolation analysis illustrate how fragmentation and robustness are quantified. Flow algorithms and resilience experiments are described as computational analogues of social processes like cooperation and stability. The handout concludes by linking these quantitative properties to the sociological principle of structural determinism: that opportunity, constraint, and influence emerge directly from measurable positions within the network.

Learning Outcomes

Guide Questions

Topic Outline

Reading List