Thursday, November 11, 2004

Optimal structure of a person's professional network. Valdis Krebs in From Social Networking in Academia - The Erdos collaboration network: Experts have long argued about the optimal structure of a person's professional network. Some say that a dense, cohesive network brings more social capital, while others argue that a sparse, radial network, one that provides opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurial activity, equates to greater social capital. Erdõs's network shows both patterns -- a densely connected core along with loosely coupled radial branches reaching out from the core. According to Ron Burt -- a leading expert on social capital -- this structure may be the optimal pattern for success. According to Burt, radial ties reach diverse information and knowledge to create value, while the dense, trusted ties deliver value in discovered opportunities. For a complete analysis read Burt's seminal work -- The Network Structure of Social Capital[PDF]. [Mathemagenic] 11:05:33 AM    comment []

Red vs. Blue county map based on population.  Here's the one based on geography.  The long term global trend is towards increasing urbanization. [John Robb's Weblog] 11:02:16 AM    comment []