With the Australia Day holiday on Monday, week 4.1 and 4.2 combined into the one workshop on Wednesday. We were lacking numbers in class so we all gathered around the one table to begin our symposium. The topic was Network Theory, and we discussed examples of networks around us in life and learned various characteristics held by them.

Two important rules that explain how networks operate are the fact that networks are always growing; and as they grow, nodes link to other nodes according to preferential attachment.

Bryan shared an interesting example of preferential attachment as found on the World Wide Web network. He mentioned how YouTube acts as a large hub, and many people link back to YouTube from other sites such as Facebook, private websites, and blogs. The people are working in the same way as nodes because they are linking back to a site with many links already. They are working by preferential attachment, allowing the richest hubs to continue to get richer.

And I’m going to do the same thing right now, as I link to a YouTube video representing how a network grows in this way.

(Warning: repetitive music ensues)

Also, to gain an insight into the challenging life of an international student, check out Bryan’s clever blog here.