Today I am lucky enough to be attending PyCon UK 2018. I have chosen to get a brief introduction into network analysis.
Alan Nir is giving a high level intro into how network analysis can benefit your work/research. He is giving a brief introduction and no mathematics and algorithms will be introduced in this session.
My favourite line, a network in just a collection of points & lines.
Computer science use this terminology:
- points AKA nodes
- lines – AKA edges, lines
Alan’s demo and recommendation is to start with this Python library, NetworkX. A comprehensive Python library with a nice API and good documentation which the logic behind the functions. More information can be found here:
Alan created a demo of creating and visualising a network in only a few lines of Python.
You can input data in various formats including tuples, JSON, and pickles.
NB: Alan will share slides later, spoke rather quickly sadly I was sat too far away to read the projected screen
Examples shown where networks showing Karma cheaters & Eurovision nation voters.
Demo data was from a public payment platform based in the US, Venmo.
Question: Why does this platform exist? Why would you want to publicise your payments?
NB: The Speaker obfuscated the data, why as it is already in the public domain. I suppose reuse rights may be in question.