Social and Economic Networks

"The study of networks is one of the liveliest and most interesting topics in contemporary economic theory. In this timely and beautifully written book, Matthew Jackson--a leading theorist and pioneer in network theory--lucidly lays out the elements of the theory as well as some cutting-edge research."--Eric S. Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics "Lucid and comprehensive, Jackson's book elegantly synthesizes several important strands of network science from sociology, physics, mathematics, computer science, and economics. It will be an immensely useful reference for researchers and students alike."--Duncan Watts, Columbia University "Matt Jackson has met and exceeded the challenge of producing a landmark work in a rapidly emerging and highly interdisciplinary field. It is wonderfully written, expertly balancing motivation and examples with technical detail. It should become a treasured resource for members of several research communities, including economists, sociologists, and computer scientists."--Michael Kearns, University of Pennsylvania "Jackson does justice to the vast interdisciplinary field of complex systems by bringing together the key advances scattered in the social science, physics, mathematics, computer science, and economics literature. With its comprehensive exposition and numerous fascinating examples, this is a must-read for everybody interested in social and economic networks."--Albert-László Barabási, University of Notre Dame "This book is an eye-opener. In addition to describing the new models of small-world and scale-free networks first developed by physical scientists, it also reveals the fascinating work done by economists on social networks. It is the best available textbook on network models, containing well-thought-out and demanding problems at the end of every chapter."--Phillip Bonacich, University of California, Los Angeles "This is an excellent, incredible, and much-needed book. Every incoming graduate student who deals with networks in economics, political science, or sociology will want it as a reference. Social and Economic Networks will become the book in formal network analysis in the social sciences. Its clarity is unsurpassed, and perhaps even unsurpassable."--Scott E. Page, author of The Difference "This is a wonderful book on social networks that will be immensely successful both as a reference on the state of the art and as a textbook for advanced courses. I believe that this book will spur renewed interest in social and economic networks, and serve as an inspiration for many researchers. Fascinating and very pleasant to read."--Francis Bloch, école Polytechnique von Jackson, Matthew O.