Social+Networks+as+Postmodern+Geometries

Is geometry used to model social networking? What type of geometry is being used?

Is geometry used to model social networking? What type of geometry is being used?

We defined geometry as the mathematical framework which generates and abstracts notions of shape, space, distance and connection.

How do we shape a network? And in what space? What would be our units for distance in this abstract notion of a network? How do we define a connection?

It’s difficult to make these ideas tangible. We have indeed seen models that depict social networking. The Facebook interface is one of them. Facebook has thousands of algorithms running, it is a generated world enveloped in complex coding. Can we find geometry in our News Feed?

A program called Analyst’s Notebook (i2) is a resource I’ve come across which is used in data analysis. The programming allows users to form Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD), which in a sense processes data on individuals (from names, to ethnicity, to income, to location, etc.) into a graphical depiction prompted by a wanted relationship. Connections are revealed, patterns are formed, and individuals are essentially identified (or targeted). In a general assumption, Facebook may use the same type of programming to link its users.

Social networking uses vast amounts of data, the data which travels thousands of miles of wire to prompt the person you’ve never met as a potential “friend.” The mathematical strings of coding used by Facebook glean information out of the databases and normalize the data possibly primed by the funny quote you listed on your profile. Functional dependencies are eliminated and the data is “flattened,” a connection is made and Facebook gives to you another entity to engage, another data point in its ever-growing network. Each click sets-up a marker in the internal coding, strands of the larger networking thread.

Abstractly envisioning this process is interesting. Is the distance between the connection I have with the individual labeled my sister or with a significant other on Facebook the same as a general friend? Are the links I “thumbs up” drawn closer in proximity to my entity in this realm compared to those I do not? Is there any symmetry between my profile and yours if we have the same amount of friends? What is being scaled, transformed, or translated? defined geometry as the mathematical framework which generates and abstracts notions of shape, space, distance and connection.

How do we shape a network? And in what space? What would be our units for distance in this abstract notion of a network? How do we define a connection?

It’s difficult to make these ideas tangible. We have indeed seen models that depict social networking. The Facebook interface is one of them. Facebook has thousands of algorithms running, it is a generated world enveloped in complex coding. Can we find geometry in our News Feed?

A program called Analyst’s Notebook (i2) is a resource I’ve come across which is used in data analysis. The programming allows users to form Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD), which in a sense processes data on individuals (from names, to ethnicity, to income, to location, etc.) into a graphical depiction prompted by a wanted relationship. Connections are revealed, patterns are formed, and individuals are essentially identified (or targeted). In a general assumption, Facebook may use the same type of programming to link its users.

Social networking uses vast amounts of data, the data which travels thousands of miles of wire to prompt the person you’ve never met as a potential “friend.” The mathematical strings of coding used by Facebook glean information out of the databases and normalize the data possibly primed by the funny quote you listed on your profile. Functional dependencies are eliminated and the data is “flattened,” a connection is made and Facebook gives to you another entity to engage, another data point in its ever-growing network. Each click sets-up a marker in the internal coding, strands of the larger networking thread.

Abstractly envisioning this process is interesting. Is the distance between the connection I have with the individual labeled my sister or with a significant other on Facebook the same as a general friend? Are the links I “thumbs up” drawn closer in proximity to my entity in this realm compared to those I do not? Is there any symmetry between my profile and yours if we have the same amount of friends? What is being scaled, transformed, or translated?

The **New York Hall of Science** is a place for everyone to explore, question and learn. In addition to over 450 permanent exhibits, NYSCI features a dynamic schedule of feature exhibitions, events, programs and workshops. One very cool exhibit that ties in with our inquiries on Social Networking is __Near: The Network Dance Floor__. "Networks are part of every aspect of human life, especially social life. We may not think about this often, but in human relationships there are frequently people who act as organizers, or hubs, linking many other people together in specific relationships. Just like many natural networks, the nature of these links can change as people change, with hubs breaking down and being rebuilt in new ways. Artist Scott Snibbe offers NYSCI visitors an interesting take on this relationship. When two people are present, arrows point from each person to the other. They are connected. What happens when a third person enters? Or a fourth, fifth, or sixth? The arrows update in size to reflect shifting hubs and changing relationships based on distance and how much time members of the network have spent near one another. In mathematical ecology, this relationship is used in geography, public housing and to manage forests."

Personally, I find the New York Hall of Science to be an amazing place to learn and have fun (and I'm not just saying that because I worked there). It is filled with fun and interesting exhibits and demonstrations that can amaze and inspire inquiring minds. The Connections section of the museum highlights the research scientists have done using paradigm of networks to understand a broad range of physical, biological, social, and communications systems. Through a mix of technology and art, the exhibition explores the fundamental structures of networks, providing visitors with tools to understand similarities and differences among different kinds of networks: how is a spider’s web like and unlike the World Wide Web? How is a school lunchroom like and unlike an ant colony? How is the Internet like a river network?

To learn more visit there site: http://www.nysci.org/explore/exhibitions/connections_summary/connectionsExhibits

To learn EVEN more visit the Hall: 47-01 111st Queens, NY 11368 (if you do, make sure to go to The Lemon Ice King of Corona before you come home, best italian ice in the city)