The SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS: FROM GRAPH THEORY TO APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a powerful interdisciplinary field that explores the patterns and dynamics of relationships between individuals, groups, organizations, and even entire societies. This article provides an overview of SNA, tracing its roots in graph theory and highlighting its various applications in fields such as sociology, computer science, business, and epidemiology. By examining the theoretical foundations of SNA and its practical implementations, this article aims to demonstrate the importance of SNA in understanding social structures, information diffusion, impact dynamics, and collective behavior. In addition, the article discusses the methodologies and tools used in SNA research, including data collection, network visualization and network metrics. Through a comprehensive analysis of SNA techniques and their applications, this article contributes to the growing knowledge in the analysis of social networks and encourages further exploration of this rich field.