Network Matrix and Graph

Network Size
Network size – a number of actors (nodes)
in a network, usually denoted as k or n
•Size is critical for the structure of social
relations due to limited capacity of a single Network size=3
actor for maintaining ties N of all possible ties=6

•In smaller networks, actors are very likely to

be connected to each other, while in larger
networks connecting to everyone else
becomes increasingly difficult
•For directed (asymmetric) network, the
number of possible ties is k*(k-1), for Network size=6
N of all possible ties = 30
undirected (symmetric) it is k*(k-1)/2
•The number of possible relationships grows
exponentially as the number of actors
increases linearly and so does network
complexity Network size=6
N of all possible ties = 30
 Network Density
Density - proportion of all possible ties that are actually present
• Sum of existing ties divided by the number of all possible ties

  a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 sum
a1 1 1 1 1 1 5
a2 1 1 1 0 0 3
a3 1 1 1 0 0 3
a4 1 1 1 0 0 3
a5 1 0 0 0 1 2
a6 1 0 0 0 1 2

Density=18/(6*5)=18/30=.6 18

In UCINET: Network  Cohesion  Density  Density Overall

 Network Density
Density informs about the speed at which information
or resources diffuse among the nodes and the extent
to which actors have high levels of social capital
and/or social constraint

Density=.6 Density=1.0
 Components
Component – a part of a network that is connected within, but
disconnected from other parts of a network
Isolate – a single actor disconnected from the rest of the network
Disconnected components mean that network consists of separate sub-
populations with no flow of information, resources, influence, etc. between
them
For directed graphs, there are two types of components: 1) a weak
component is a set of nodes that are connected, regardless of the
direction of ties 1) a strong component requires that there be a directed
path from A to B in order for the two to be in the same component

Three components (1,2,3,4), (5,6,7,8),(9)

One isolate (9).

In UCINET for binary data: Network  Regions  Components  Simple graphs

(For valued graphs: Network  Regions  Components  Valued graphs )
 Reachability
Reachability tells us whether two actors are connected or not by way of
either a direct or an indirect pathways of any length
•If some actors in a network cannot reach others:
– there is the potential for disruption of the flow of information and
resources
– this may indicate that the population we are studying is really
composed of more than one sub-populations
In UCINET: Network  Cohesion  Reachability

a1 is reachable only from a4,a6 a6 is unreachable to the nodes in

the larger component. Everyone in
a2 is reachable only from a1, a4 and a6 the connected component is
reachable to each other.
 Geodesic Distance
A walk is a sequence of actors and relations that begins and ends with actors
Geodesic distance - the number of relations in the shortest possible walk from
one actor to another
• The geodesic path (or paths, as there can be more than one) is often the
"optimal" or most "efficient" connection between two actors
Diameter - the largest geodesic distance in the (connected) network

In UCINET: Network  Cohesion  Geodesic Distances

Geodesic Distances
123456
aaaaaa
- - - -- -
1 a1 0 1 2 1 x 1 5
2 a2 x 0 x x x x 0
3 a3 x x 0 x x x 0
4 a4 2 3 1 0 x 1 7
5 a5 x x x 1 0 x 1
6 a6 1 2 1 2 x 0 6
SUM 19
(x means no path)

Diameter is 3
The geodesic distance from a1to a2=1, from a1 to a3=2, from a1 to a4=1,
from a1 to a6=1 and there is no geodesic distance from a1 to a5.
The average geodesic among reachable pairs is (19/13=)1.462.
 Blocks, Cutpoints, and Bridges
Cut-point - a node, removal of which
would break up a network into
disconnected parts
Blocks – parts into which cut-points divide No cut-points, no bridges
a network
Bridge – a tie between two nodes,
removal of which would break up a
network into disconnected parts a1 is a cut-point, no bridges
Cut-points may act as brokers among Two blocks: (a5, a6) and (a2, a3, a4)
otherwise disconnected groups
Cut-points and bridges are network’s
weak spots vulnerable to disruptions in the
flow of information, resources, and 1 and 2 are cut-points a tie
influence Tie between 1 and 2 is a
bridge

In UCINET for binary data: Network  Regions  Bi-components

 Centrality
• Look at the positions of actor A
in these three networks
• In which network does actor A
have more favorable and less
favorable position?
• Actor D? "Star” network
• How equally is centrality
distributed in these networks?

“Line” network “Circle” network

 Degree Centrality
• More choices/alternatives means more
opportunities and less
dependence/constraint
• The more ties actor have, the more
power they may have
• Degree centrality is the number of
connections an actor (node) has A has 6 connections,
B,C, D, E, F, G have 1 connection
• When ties are directed, we calculate total
number of ties sent (out-degree) and
ties received (in-degree)
• Out-degree typically indicates influence,
in-degree indicates prestige or popularity

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power

Degree
Select whether to treat data as symmetric or not. A B,C, D, E, F, G have 2
connections
 Closeness Centrality
• Degree centrality does not take into account indirect
ties an actor has
• Closeness centrality emphasizes the distance of an
actor to all others in the network
• The closer one is to others in the network, the more
favored is that actor’s position
Farness: A gets in 1 step to each of
• Farness is the sum of the geodesic distances from the other 6, 6*1=6
each ego to all others in the network “Closeness" is The rest get to A in 1 step and to the
the reciprocal of farness = 1/farness other 5 in 2, 1+5*2=11
Closeness: A (1/6)=.167
• “nCloseness” is Closeness times the number of nCloseness: A 100*(7-1)*1/6=100
alters The rest 100*(7-1)*1/11=54.545.
• Degree centrality measures one’s local position,
while closeness centrality measures position globally
• Closeness is indefinite for disconnected nodes
• Closeness is meaningful only for a connected
network

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power  Farness: 2*1+2*2+2*3=12

Closeness (old) Closeness: 1/12=.08
Select whether to treat data as symmetric or not. Interpret nCloseness: 100*(7-1)*1/12=50
results cautiously if a network is disconnected.
 Betweenness Centrality
• The more people depend on an actor
to make connections with others, the
more power that actor has
• Betweenness centrality is the extent
to which an actor falls on the
geodesic paths between other pairs
of actors in the network
All of them are on 3 geodesic paths.
E.g. A is between B&G, B&F and C&G.

A is in all geodesic paths between any pair of

the others. There are 6 others and 6*5/2=15
ways you can get from any of the 6 to any of
the other 5, so for A=15. For the rest 0.

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power Freeman Betweenness  Node Betweenness

 Centrality vs. Centralization
• Centrality is a characteristic of an actor’s position in a network
• Centralization is a characteristic of a network
• Centralization indicates:
– how unequal the distribution of centrality is in a network or
– how much variance there is in the distribution of centrality in a network
• Centrality is a micro-level measure
• Centralization is a macro-level measure
– There are as many centralization measures as centrality measures
• To find centralization,
– a. you must find the most central actor C*
– b. take its centrality score and subtract the centrality score of each of
the others, Ci, from it
– c. add up the differences: Σ(C*-Ci)
– d. then divide this by what this sum would be under the largest possible
centralization (if the network was a star) : Max Σ(C*-Ci)
– e. multiply this by 100 to turn it into a percentage
• Centralization= 100* Σ(C*-Ci) / Max Σ(C*-Ci)
 Centralization (symmetric matrices)
• Note: all three networks are symmetric
• Star: 100%, Circle: 0% on all measures of centralization.
1 2 3

• Degree Centralization •
•
Degree NrmDegree Share
------------ ----------- ------------
• For the third network: The most central actor is a1 • 1 a1 (C*) 5.000 100.000 0.278
• Σ(C*-Ci)=(5-3)+(5-3)+(5-3)+(5-2)+(5-2)=2+2+2+3+3=12 • 2 a2 3.000 60.000 0.167
• 3 a3 3.000 60.000 0.167
• Max. centralization: one actor has 5 ties, all the rest have 1.
• 4 a4 3.000 60.000 0.167
• For symmetric matrices: • 5 a5 2.000 40.000 0.111
– Max. Degree Centralization=(N-1)*N-2) • 6 a6 2.000 40.000 0.111
• Max Σ(C*-Ci)=(5-1)+(5-1)+(5-1)+(5-1)+(5-1)=5*4=20
• Centralization=100*12/20=60 or 60% • Network Centralization = 60.00%

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power Degree Select whether to treat data as symmetric or not.
 Centralization (symmetric matrices)

• Closeness Centralization
• The most central actor is a1.
– Σ(C*-Ci)=(100-71.429)+(100-71.429)+(100-71.429)+(100-
62.5)+(100-62.5)=3*28.571+2*37.5=160.713
• Max. centralization:
• one actor gets to all others in one step:
– sum of geodesic distance or farness=(n-1)*1,
– nCloseness=100*(n-1)*1/(n-1)*1=100,
• all the others will get to central actor in one step and everyone else in 2
steps: • 1 2
– sum of geodesic distance or farness=1+2(n-2), • Farness nCloseness
– nCloseness=100*(n-1)*1/(1+2(n-2))=100*5/9=55.55556 • ------------ ------------
• Max Σ(C*-Ci)= (100-55.5556)+(100-55.5556)+(100-55.5556)+(100- • 1 a1 (C*) 5.000 100.000
55.5556)+(100-55.5556)=5*44.4444=222.2222 • 2 a2 7.000 71.429
• 3 a3 7.000 71.429
• 4 a4 7.000 71.429
• Centralization=100*160.713/222.2222=72.32 or 72.32%
• 5 a5 8.000 62.500
• 6 a6 8.000 62.500

• Network Centralization = 72.32%

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power  Closeness (old)

Select whether to treat data as symmetric or not.
 Centralization (symmetric matrices)
• Betweenness centralization
• The most central actor is a1.
– Σ(C*-Ci)=(6-0)+(6-0)+(6-0)+(6-0)+(6-0)=5*6=30
• Max. centralization:
• one actor gets in between all the others, no matter how you pair them:
– The others can be paired in (n-1)*(n-2)/2 ways so the central actor will
get a score of (6-1)*(6-2)/2=10
• The others are not between any pair of actors
• 1 2
• Max Σ(C*-Ci)= (10-0)+(10-0)+(10-0)+(10-0)+(10-0)=50 • Betweenness nBetweenness
• Centralization=100*30/50=60 or 60% • ------------ ------------
• (It is a coincidence that Degree and Betweenness Centralization takes the same • 1 a1 (C*) 6 60
value in this particular case.)
• 2 a2 0 0
• 3 a3 0 0
• 4 a4 0 0
• 5 a5 0 0
• 6 a6 0 0

• Network Centralization Index = 60.00%

In UCINET: Network  Centrality and Power Freeman Betweenness  Node Betweenness

Centralization symmetric vs. asymmetric
matrices
• The same matrix will give different centralization scores depending on whether it is analyzed as symmetric or
asymmetric. Asymmetric matrices will have an Indegree and an Outdegree measure of centralization.
• Take the Star matrix. As a symmetric matrix, it has a maximum centralization score (100%). But if we analyze it
as a matrix of asymmetric relationships that just happen to show a symmetric pattern it is less centralized. Take
Degree Centralization in a Star matrix where the asymmetric relationships happen to be symmetrical:
• OutDegree InDegree NrmOutDeg NrmInDeg
• ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
• 1A 6.000 6.000 100.000 100.000
• 2B 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667
• 3C 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667
• 4D 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667
• 5E 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667
• 6F 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667
• 7G 1.000 1.000 16.667 16.667

• Network Centralization (Outdegree) = 83.333%

• Network Centralization (Indegree) = 83.333%
• Now, centralization is not 100%. It is because the Maximum Centralization is different. In this case, the Max.
Centralization (Outdegree) occurs when only one actor (A) has out-ties and none of the others do. (The same
goes for Indegree centralization: it reaches maximum when only one actor has in-ties and none of the others
do.)
• 100*(6*(6-1))/6*(6-0)=100*30/36=83.333
• If only A has out-ties then it will have no in-ties. In that case, the Max. Indegree Centralization would be close to
zero as 6 out of 7 actors (B—G) would have exactly the same number of in-ties (1 coming from A) and A would
have none (0).
• Outdegree 100*(6*(6-0)/6*(6-0)=100
• Indegree 100*(5*(1-1)+(1-0))/6*(6-0)=100*1/36= 2.778%