Networks are important in shaping behavior in many environments. For example, economic production and supply chains are organized as networks, new technologies diffuse in the economy through research and development collaboration networks. Social networks pervade our social and economic lives. They play a central role in the transmission of information about job opportunities and are critical to the trade of many goods and services. The presence of networks makes it important to understand which network structures can emerge and how networks impact behavior.
The course offers an introduction to networks and applications of social and economic networks. The goal of the course is to provide students with the theoretical foundations of network theory and help them understand behavior and outcomes in networked societies.
The course contains
- an overview of social and economic networks as well as empirical observations about network structure;
- description of network models and models of network formation;
- models of how network structures impact behavior: diffusion, learning, games on networks, and networked markets;
- practical examples of network applications;
- methods of networks visualization.