Six Degrees of Separation? Or Less…
resource: https://research.fb.com/blog/2016/02/three-and-a-half-degrees-of-separation/
This research article from social media giant Facebook explains how the initial idea of “six degrees of separation” may actually be a lot less now. As the title claims, that number is closer to three and a half degrees – nearly half of the initial count! The primary source of data comes from Facebook users, which account for nearly 30% of the world’s population (at the time this article was published). In order to efficiently aggregate and calculate this information, the researchers employed the Flajolet-Martin algorithm which combines concepts of hashing, bit-wise operations, and recursion. An interesting fact from this article is that Cornell is cited to have actually contributed to similar research in 2011, which shows our school’s lasting involvement and interest in this area.
Coming from a more technical viewpoint, I stumbled upon this article while looking for ways to apply what we are learning from class to a more ‘computer science-like’ environment. Clearly, the connection of this article to class is graph theory and our explicit in-class discussion on this topic. Something to continually consider is the impact of technology and its increasingly broad access. Facebook, and many other social media platforms, aim to make the world a more connected place. Even Facebook’s slogan is “connect with friends and the world around you”. One can only wonder, ‘To what extent will this world become connected, thus decreasing the degree of separation value? And what are the repercussions and effects of that?’