Six Degrees PA

Watts, one of the principal architects of network theory, sets out to explain the innovative research that he and other scientists are spearheading to create a blueprint of this connected planet.

Duncan J. Watts is associate professor of sociology at Columbia University and an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical and applied mechanics and has published in leading physics and sociology journals. He lives in New York City

PREFACE

13

(6)

CHAPTER 1: The Connected Age

19

(24)

EMERGENCE

24

(3)

NETWORKS

27

(3)

SYNCHRONY

30

(5)

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

35

(2)

THE SMALL-WORLD PROBLEM

37

(6)

CHAPTER 2: The Origins of a "New" Science

43

(26)

THE THEORY OF RANDOM GRAPHS

43

(4)

SOCIAL NETWORKS

47

(3)

THE DYNAMICS MATTERS

50

(6)

DEPARTING FROM RANDOMNESS

56

(5)

HERE COME THE PHYSICISTS...

61

(8)

CHAPTER 3: Small Worlds

69

(32)

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

70

(4)

FROM CAVEMEN TO SOLARIANS

74

(4)

SMALL WORLDS

78

(5)

AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE

83

(9)

THE REAL WORLD

92

(9)

CHAPTER 4: Beyond the Small World

101

(29)

SCALE-FREE NETWORKS

104

(4)

THE RICH GET RICHER

108

(3)

GETTING RICH CAN BE HARD

111

(3)

REINTRODUCING GROUP STRUCTURE

114

(4)

AFFILIATION NETWORKS

118

(3)

DIRECTORS AND SCIENTISTS

121

(4)

COMPLICATIONS

125

(5)

CHAPTER 5: Search in Networks

130

(32)

SO WHAT DID MILGRAM REALLY SHOW?

132

(3)

IS SIX A BIG OR A SMALL NUMBER?

135

(4)

THE SMALL-WORLD SEARCH PROBLEM

139

(7)

SOCIOLOGY STRIKES BACK

146

(10)

SEARCH IN PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS

156

(6)

CHAPTER 6: Epidemics and Failures

162

(33)

THE HOT ZONE

162

(3)

VIRUSES IN THE INTERNET

165

(3)

THE MATHEMATICS OF EPIDEMICS

168

(6)

EPIDEMICS IN A SMALL WORLD

174

(9)

PERCOLATION MODELS OF DISEASE

183

(4)

NETWORKS, VIRUSES, AND MICROSOFT

187

(2)

FAILURES AND ROBUSTNESS

189

(6)

CHAPTER 7: Decisions, Delusions, and the Madness of Crowds

195

(25)

TULIP ECONOMICS

196

(2)

FEAR, GREED, AND RATIONALITY

198

(3)

COLLECTIVE DECISIONS

201

(3)

INFORMATION CASCADES

204

(3)

INFORMATION EXTERNALITIES

207

(5)

COERCIVE EXTERNALITIES

212

(1)

MARKET EXTERNALITIES

213

(2)

COORDINATION EXTERNALITIES

215

(2)

SOCIAL DECISION MAKING

217

(3)

CHAPTER 8: Thresholds, Cascades, and Predictability

220

(33)

THRESHOLD MODELS OF DECISIONS

221

(5)

CAPTURING DIFFERENCES

226

(3)

CASCADES IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

229

(6)

CASCADES AND PERCOLATION

235

(4)

PHASE TRANSITIONS AND CASCADES

239

(2)

CROSSING THE CHASM

241

(3)

A NONLINEAR VIEW OF HISTORY

244

(4)

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

248

(2)

ROBUSTNESS REVISITED

250

(3)

CHAPTER 9: Innovation, Adaptation, and Recovery

253

(37)

THE TOYOTA-AISIN CRISIS

254

(6)

MARKETS AND HIERARCHIES

260

(4)

INDUSTRIAL DIVIDES

264

(3)

AMBIGUITY

267

(3)

THE THIRD WAY

270

(3)

COPING WITH AMBIGUITY

273

(5)

MULTISCALE NETWORKS

278

(6)

RECOVERING FROM DISASTER

284

(6)

CHAPTER 10 : The End of the Beginning

290

(17)

SEPTEMBER 11

292

(7)

LESSONS FORA CONNECTED AGE

299

(8)

CHAPTER 11 The World Gets Smaller: Another Year in the Connected Age

307

(40)

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Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials