PageRank Sculpting and Prevention Algorithms
PageRank algorithms are used to order search engine results based on relevance and importance, relating to the number of incoming and outgoing links to a site. However, website marketers often use methods of PageRank manipulation to maximize PageRank scores for particular websites. One such method is known as PageRank sculpting: the method of controlling PageRank […]
Social Media, Cancel Culture, and Information Cascades
In recent years, the rise of social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok have allowed for information to be shared online at record speeds amongst friends and strangers alike. Though these platforms are generally intended to be used for sharing content with people we know in real life, most platforms are now redesigning their […]
Graph Theory for Representing Traffic Control
Among the many applications of Graph Theory in the real world is its neat representation of traffic problems. Many urban centers face challenges in creating accurate traffic models that can help forecast and manage traffic for efficiency in transportation flows. Connected graphs are used to represent flow states (of traffic) and their interaction with intersections. […]
Information Cascade in Online Shopping
Nowadays, many people buy things online, mainly out of convenience but also because there is a massive catalog offering more options. However, this also means that every shopper has to deal with choice overload, a paradox we deal with constantly. For instance, when there are too many ice cream flavors, we tend to spend way […]
Optimal Strategies for winning in CS:GO
CS:GO is a first person shooter video game that is based on search and destroy. There are two teams, the terrorists and the counter-terrorists; the terrorists’s goal is to plant the bomb and defend the bomb until it explodes, and the counter-terrorists’s goal is to defend the bomb sites and defuse the bomb if it […]
Information Cascades and the Network Effect on Fashion Trends through Social Media
Recently in class, we have been discussing information cascades and the network effect. Information cascading is when many people all do the same thing in sequence when given the option to follow your own information or follow what others do. The network effect is when an increased number of people improves the value of an […]
Seoul Halloween Stampede and Information Cascades
This past weekend, many people in Seoul, South Korea set out to celebrate Halloween, the first large-scale celebration of this holiday following the start of the pandemic. Due to the incredibly crowded volume of people on the streets of the Itaewon area, over 150 individuals passed away when a stampede started, leaving even more injured. […]
Information Cascades & Crisis Responses
A critical moment in which information cascades apply is both during and after a crisis – whether that be a natural disaster or some other type of emergency. In these moments, the sharing of information is vital and is closely tied with social media, one of the main ways of information sharing in the modern […]
Information Cascades in Cancel Culture
Cancel culture has become a key part of today’s social scene, but can have many perceived reasons and definitions. While some view it as holding other accountable, it can also been seen as a form of censorship or punishment. It colloquially refers to calling people out publicly for things they have said or done usually […]
The Most Viral, Strongly Connected Component: Instagram, Tik Tok, Youtube… Combined
As Tik Tok introduced a new form of social media in short clips, it revolutionized both the creation and consumption of media. Moreover, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook quickly changed their platforms to accommodate the demand for this media. Since competition for shorts rapidly developed, so did the amount of content. Specifically, anyone has the ability […]
keep looking »