{"id":112920,"date":"2023-09-13T22:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T02:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=112920"},"modified":"2023-09-14T08:54:24","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T12:54:24","slug":"what-is-network-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-network-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Network Theory? Historian Niall Ferguson Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is network theory? How does it explain the way humans interact and organize themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Square and the Tower<\/em>, best-selling author and Stanford University historian Niall Ferguson applies network theory to the study of world history. He describes social, commercial, and other networks that existed at various times in history. First, he explains what network theory is and how networks operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to understand what network theory is and to learn about different types of networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Network Theory?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is network theory? Ferguson explains that it’s the study of how people or other entities connect and interact with each other to form networks. It examines how different kinds of networks operate and how they affect the world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Ferguson explains, networks can take many forms because different types of entities can connect in many different ways<\/strong>. You can have a network of computers connected via digital communication protocols<\/a>. You can have a network of businesses connected by supply chains and cash flows. And, you can have a network of people connected by shared interests, family ties, or other bonds of loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ferguson observes that humans seem to have an innate proclivity for connecting with each other and forming networks. This has led to the creation of governments, social clubs, and all the other interpersonal networks that collectively make up human society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking in Real Life<\/strong>

Although networks can take non-human forms, such as supply chains or computer systems, all such networks are ultimately controlled by people<\/em>. Business entities can form networks of supply and distribution, but the businesses are still run by people. Computers can exchange information on a digital network but only in ways that humans tell them to. This is why, as Keith Ferrazzi explains in Never Eat Alone<\/em><\/a>, if you want to make networks work for you, you need to know how to connect with people.<\/em>

The problem is that, while humans may have an instinct to form networks of social bonds, as Ferguson observes, we\u2019re not all equally good at it. To improve your networking skills, Ferrazzi says there are four key beliefs you need to adopt.<\/a> First, connections are for mutual <\/em>benefit. Second, goodwill is infinite\u2014in fact, the more you ask someone for help or expertise, the more you\u2019ll strengthen<\/em> your relationship with them, not wear it out. Third, people like to help people that they already know\u2014so don\u2019t wait until you need their help to establish a connection. And fourth, it\u2019s OK to connect with strangers\u2014in fact, it\u2019s imperative that you intentionally network with people outside your circle of existing contacts.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Classifying Networks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ferguson discusses how networks can be categorized based on their structure. In most networks, some entities are more important or powerful than others. If you know the structure of a network, that is, which entities are connected to each other, you can infer the importance of any given entity in the network based on its \u201ccentrality.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centrality has three components: <\/p>\n\n\n\n