The Role of Hungarian Mathematicians in Developing the Science of Social Network Analysis

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Each one of us is part of a social network, from which no one is left out. Though we do not know everyone on the globe or even in our community, each person is connected to every other person through links with people. Similarly, there is a path linking any two neurons in the brain, any two companies in the world. Likewise, one might study the spread of infections or the dispersal of ideas on the internet through their linkages. The interconnections between any numbers of phenomena may be studied through social network analysis, a discipline that started in the 1930s in sociology.

The field of social network analysis was greatly advanced by the work of Hungarian mathematicians, most notably Paul Erdős and Alfréd Rényi who applied graph theory to the study of social networks. This enabled the visual illustration of networks and accelerated its growth from the domain of sociology to information technology, medicine, marketing, and other diverse disciplines. Hungarian mathematicians have made significant contributions to the science not just to its visualization, but also the popularization of the method, most notably Albert-László Barabási among others. The roles of Hungarian mathematicians and scientists in developing this field will be highlighted during this talk.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Klara Papp, PhD is professor and Associate Dean of Assessment and Evaluation at Penn State College of Medicine. She earned her PhD in educational psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo. She provides expertise to medical faculty in educational testing and measurement. She recently moved to Pennsylvania from Cleveland, Ohio where she directed the Center for the Advancement of Medical Learning (CAML) at Case Western Reserve University. On a national level, Klara served as chair of the research committee for Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine and received its Charles H. Griffith III Educational Research Award. She has served as an accreditation reviewer for California schools and colleges, and has been a member of the NIH study section for grants in health and science education. She applied social network analysis in illustrating relationships among Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and became fascinated with its potential for identifying areas of growth and development.