Getting the Edge with Network Analysis with Alan Nir

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.