Social and Economic Networks

Description

Networks of relationships help determine the careers that people choose, the jobs they obtain, the products they buy, and how they vote. The many aspects of our lives that are governed by social networks make it critical to understand how they impact behavior, which network structures are likely to emerge in a society, and why we organize ourselves as we do. In Social and Economic Networks, Matthew Jackson offers a comprehensive introduction to social and economic networks, drawing on the latest findings in economics, sociology, computer science, physics, and mathematics. He provides empirical background on networks and the regularities that they exhibit, and discusses random graph-based models and strategic models of network formation. He helps readers to understand behavior in networked societies, with a detailed analysis of learning and diffusion in networks, decision making by individuals who are influenced by their social neighbors, game theory and markets on networks, and a host of related subjects. Jackson also describes the varied statistical and modeling techniques used to analyze social networks. Each chapter includes exercises to aid students in their analysis of how networks function. This book is an indispensable resource for students and researchers in economics, mathematics, physics, sociology, and business.

Matthew O. Jackson is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University.

Honorable Mention for the 2008 PROSE Award in Economics, Association of American Publishers "Jackson's review of diffusion models is excellent, as tight an overview of these models as I have seen anywhere... Social and Economic Networks is a must-read for all those steeped in the traditional social network analysis paradigm. Economists will find Jackson offers them a superb and accessible introduction to network questions and models. And for others from any social science background curious about social networks, I recommend a careful read of the book."--David Krackhardt, Science "This book deserves the highest recommendations for all readers interested in networks and interdependence. It is written clearly, and could be used both as a starting textbook for a journey to the world of networks and also as an expert guide for scientists studying social and economic networks."--Karoly Takacs, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation "I strongly recommend this book to any scholar or student interested in networks, not only in economics but in any connected field such as sociology, physics, and applied mathematics. Matthew Jackson's guided tour of the literature on economic and social networks is superb."--Joan de Mart? Beltran, Regional Science and Urban Economics