Topics in social network analysis and network science

This chapter introduces statistical methods used in the analysis of social networks and in the rapidly evolving parallel-field of network science. Although several instances of social network analysis in health services research have appeared recently, the majority involve only the most basic methods and thus scratch the surface of what might be accomplished. Cutting-edge methods using relevant examples and illustrations in health services research are provided

Model assisted approaches to complex survey sampling from finite populations using Bayesian Networks

A class of estimators based on the dependency structure of a multivariate variable of interest and the survey design is defined. The dependency structure is the one described by the Bayesian networks. This class allows ratio type estimators as a subclass identified by a particular dependency structure. It will be shown by a Monte Carlo simulation how the adoption of the estimator corresponding to the population structure is more efficient than the others. It will also be underlined how this class adapts to the problem of integration of information from two surveys through probability updating system of the Bayesian networks.Graphical models, probability update, survey design

An agent-driven semantical identifier using radial basis neural networks and reinforcement learning

Due to the huge availability of documents in digital form, and the deception possibility raise bound to the essence of digital documents and the way they are spread, the authorship attribution problem has constantly increased its relevance. Nowadays, authorship attribution,for both information retrieval and analysis, has gained great importance in the context of security, trust and copyright preservation. This work proposes an innovative multi-agent driven machine learning technique that has been developed for authorship attribution. By means of a preprocessing for word-grouping and time-period related analysis of the common lexicon, we determine a bias reference level for the recurrence frequency of the words within analysed texts, and then train a Radial Basis Neural Networks (RBPNN)-based classifier to identify the correct author. The main advantage of the proposed approach lies in the generality of the semantic analysis, which can be applied to different contexts and lexical domains, without requiring any modification. Moreover, the proposed system is able to incorporate an external input, meant to tune the classifier, and then self-adjust by means of continuous learning reinforcement.Comment: Published on: Proceedings of the XV Workshop "Dagli Oggetti agli Agenti" (WOA 2014), Catania, Italy, Sepember. 25-26, 201

Assembling thefacebook: Using heterogeneity to understand online social network assembly

Online social networks represent a popular and diverse class of social media systems. Despite this variety, each of these systems undergoes a general process of online social network assembly, which represents the complicated and heterogeneous changes that transform newly born systems into mature platforms. However, little is known about this process. For example, how much of a network's assembly is driven by simple growth? How does a network's structure change as it matures? How does network structure vary with adoption rates and user heterogeneity, and do these properties play different roles at different points in the assembly? We investigate these and other questions using a unique dataset of online connections among the roughly one million users at the first 100 colleges admitted to Facebook, captured just 20 months after its launch. We first show that different vintages and adoption rates across this population of networks reveal temporal dynamics of the assembly process, and that assembly is only loosely related to network growth. We then exploit natural experiments embedded in this dataset and complementary data obtained via Internet archaeology to show that different subnetworks matured at different rates toward similar end states. These results shed light on the processes and patterns of online social network assembly, and may facilitate more effective design for online social systems.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, Proceedings of the 7th Annual ACM Web Science Conference (WebSci), 201

Content addressable memory project

A parameterized version of the tree processor was designed and tested (by simulation). The leaf processor design is 90 percent complete. We expect to complete and test a combination of tree and leaf cell designs in the next period. Work is proceeding on algorithms for the computer aided manufacturing (CAM), and once the design is complete we will begin simulating algorithms for large problems. The following topics are covered: (1) the practical implementation of content addressable memory; (2) design of a LEAF cell for the Rutgers CAM architecture; (3) a circuit design tool user's manual; and (4) design and analysis of efficient hierarchical interconnection networks

Representation recovers information

Early agreement within cognitive science on the topic of representation has now given way to a combination of positions. Some question the significance of representation in cognition. Others continue to argue in favor, but the case has not been demonstrated in any formal way. The present paper sets out a framework in which the value of representation-use can be mathematically measured, albeit in a broadly sensory context rather than a specifically cognitive one. Key to the approach is the use of Bayesian networks for modeling the distal dimension of sensory processes. More relevant to cognitive science is the theoretical result obtained, which is that a certain type of representational architecture is *necessary* for achievement of sensory efficiency. While exhibiting few of the characteristics of traditional, symbolic encoding, this architecture corresponds quite closely to the forms of embedded representation now being explored in some embedded/embodied approaches. It becomes meaningful to view that type of representation-use as a form of information recovery. A formal basis then exists for viewing representation not so much as the substrate of reasoning and thought, but rather as a general medium for efficient, interpretive processing

Sampling designs and robustness for the analysis of network data

This manuscript addresses three new practical methodologies for topics on Bayesian analysis regarding sampling designs and robustness on network data: / In the first part of this thesis we propose a general approach for comparing sampling designs. The approach is based on the concept of data compression from information theory. The criterion for comparing sampling designs is formulated so that the results prove to be robust with respect to some of the most widely used loss functions for point estimation and prediction. The rationale behind the proposed approach is to find sampling designs such that preserve the largest amount of information possible from the original data generating mechanism. The approach is inspired by the same principle as the reference prior, with the difference that, for the proposed approach, the argument of the optimization is the sampling design rather than the prior. The information contained in the data generating mechanism can be encoded in a distribution defined either in parameter’s space (posterior distribution) or in the space of observables (predictive distribution). The results obtained in this part enable us to relate statements about a feature of an observed subgraph and a feature of a full graph. It is proven that such statements can not be connected by invoking conditional statements only; it is necessary to specify a joint distribution for the random graph model and the sampling design for all values of fully and partially observed random network features. We use this rationale to formulate statements at the level of the sampling graph that help to make non-trivial statements about the full network. The joint distribution of the underlying network and the sampling mechanism enable the statistician to relate both type of conditional statements. Thus, for random network partially and fully observed features joint distribution is considered and useful statements for practitioners are provided. / The second general theme of this thesis is robustness on networks. A method for robustness on exchangeable random networks is developed. The approach is inspired by the concept of graphon approximation through a stochastic block model. An exchangeable model is assumed to infer a feature of a random networks with the objective to see how the quality of that inference gets degraded if the model is slightly modified. Decision theory methods are considered under model misspecification by quantifying stability of optimal actions to perturbations to the approximating model within a well defined neighborhood of model space. The approach is inspired by all recent developments across the context of robustness in recent research in the robust control, macroeconomics and financial mathematics literature. / In all topics, simulation analysis is complemented with comprehensive experimental studies, which show the benefits of our modeling and estimation methods

Behavioural patterns in social networks

In this paper, we focus on the analysis of individual decision making for the formation of social networks, using experimentally generated data. We first analyse the determinants of the individual demand for links under the assumption of agents' static expectations. The results of this exercise subsequently allow us to identify patterns of behaviour that can be subsumed in three strategies of link formation: 1) reciprocator strategy - players propose links to those from whom they have received link proposals in the previous round; 2) myopic best response strategy - players aim to profit from maximisation; 3) opportunistic strategy - players reciprocate link proposals to those who have the largest number of connections. We find that these strategies explain approximately 76% of the observed choices. We finally estimate a mixture model to highlight the proportion of the population who adopt each of these strategies