Network Modeling (Winter 2011/2012)
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Social network analysis, i.e., the joint analysis of actors and relations among them, rapidly gains importance in many scientific and commercial applications. Examples range from studies of organizational and communication networks over to the analysis of Web-based user interaction. Statistical approaches in social network analysis are applied to model, estimate, and predict social interaction and behavior based on empirical data. In this course you will learn mathematical and methodological foundations for modeling social networks. In the first part we treat models for time-independent networks and in the second part we model the evolution of networks over time. This course is part of a set of three related lectures offered by the Algorithmics group: Network Analysis, Network Dynamics, and Network Modeling. Note that these courses can be taken independently of each other and in any order. Prerequisites Knowledge of basic mathematical concepts, as well as mathematical soft skills, i.e., the ability to understand and work with mathematical definitions, theorems, and proofs. |
Schedule
| Lecture (J. Lerner, V. Amati) | Wed 14:15-15:45 h (A 704) |
| Tutorial (B. Nick) | Wed 12:30-14:00 h (Z 1003) - fortnightly |
| Exams (oral) | February 15th and April 18th (E 203) |
Exercises
New assignments will be placed online shortly after the lecture.
Solutions are due on Tuesdays, 10am (if there is a tutorial the next day), or Wednesdays 14:15h (otherwise).
Place solutions on the box in front of E203, or send an email with attached pdf --- if permitted by the deadline, solutions can be handed over at the beginning of the lecture, too.
| no. | online | due | tutorial | download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 19.10.2011 | 25.10.2011 | 26.10.2011 | |
| 1a | 26.10.2011 | 02.11.2011 | 09.11.2011 | |
| 1b | 02.11.2011 | 08.11.2011 | 09.11.2011 | |
| 2a | 09.11.2011 | 16.11.2011 | 23.11.2011 | |
| 2b | 16.11.2011 | 22.11.2011 | 23.11.2011 | |
| 3a | 23.11.2011 | 30.11.2011 | 07.12.2011 | |
| 3b | 30.11.2011 | 06.12.2011 | 07.12.2011 | |
| 4a | 07.12.2011 | 14.12.2011 | 21.12.2011 | |
| 4b | 15.12.2011 | 20.12.2011 | 21.12.2011 | |
| 5a | 12.01.2012 | 18.01.2012 | 25.01.2012 | |
| 5b | 18.01.2012 | 24.01.2012 | 25.01.2012 | |
| 6a | 26.01.2012 | 01.02.2012 | 08.02.2012 | |
| 6b | 01.02.2012 | 08.02.2012 | 08.02.2012 |
Material
Lecture notes
- Stochastic actor-oriented models (lecture notes) last updated: February 13, 2012 (will be extended and updated during the lecture).
- Static Network Models (lecture notes) (will be extended and updated during the lecture).
Slides
- Event network models (slides) last updated: February 01, 2012 (will be extended and updated during the lecture).
- Stochastic actor-oriented models (slides) last updated: February 13, 2012 (will be extended and updated during the lecture).
- Static Network Models (slides) last updated: November 30, 2011 (will be extended and updated during the lecture).
Code example
- R code illustrating the RSIENA package used in the lecture on January 25, 2012.
- R code illustrating the RSIENA package and related zipped folder with the data used in the lecture on January 11, 2012.
- R code illustrating the ergm package used in the lecture on November 30, 2011.
Literature
(list will be extended)Lecture topics
- Robins, Pattison, Kalish, and Lusher: An introduction to exponential random graph (p*) models for social networks. Social Networks 29(2):173-191, 2007. (local copy)
- Snijders, van de Bunt, and Steglich: Introduction to stochastic actor-based models for network dynamics. Social Networks 32(1):44-60, 2010. (local copy)
- Snijders, Koskinen, and Schweinberger: Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Social Network Dynamics. Annals of Applied Statistics 4(2):567-588, 2010. (local copy)
- Steglich, Snijders, and Pearson: Dynamic Networks and Behavior: Separating Selection from Influence. Sociological Methodology 40(1):329-393, 2010. (local copy)
- Batagelj, Brandes: Efficient Generation of Large Random Networks. Physical Review E 71, 036113, 2005.
Background and further reading
- Lazer, Pentland, Adamic, Aral, Barabási, Brewer, Christakis, Contractor, Fowler, Gutmann, Jebara, King, Macy, Roy, Van Alstyne: Computational Social Science. Science 323(5915), 721-723, 2009.
- Brandes, Erlebach (Eds.): Network Analysis. LNCS 3418, Springer, 2005.
- Wasserman, Faust: Social Network Analysis. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994.