We survey and synthesize models of network formation based on random graphs and stochastic processes. We organize the material according to whether the population is treated as fixed or dynamic. We pay particular attention to the effects of homophilous linking on network structure. Finally, we...

This article suggests a modeling framework to investigate the optimal strategy followed by a monopolistic firm to manipulate the process of opinion formation in a social network. We consider a network which consists of the monopolist and a set of consumers who communicate to form their beliefs...

Demonstrating compelling causal evidence of the existence and strength of peer to peer influence has become the holy grail of modern research in online social networks. In these networks, it has been consistently demonstrated that user characteristics and behavior tend to cluster both in space...

Why, when given the opportunity to move from high- to low-poverty neighborhoods, do some low-income families return to disadvantaged settings? Extant literature emphasizes low-income families' “reactive” migration to structural forces beyond their control. But social ties are in fact a...

This paper presents a model of strategic network formation with local complementarities in effort levels and positive local externalities. Results are obtained for a general class of payoff functions, which subsumes the linear-quadratic specification frequently used in the literature. We assume...

We investigate whether and how social ties affect performance in teams by implementing a field experiment in which a sample of undergraduate students are randomly assigned to either teams composed by friends or teams composed by individuals not linked by friendship relationships. Students...

For social networking platforms like Facebook, understanding the peer effects on it can be valuable to many applications, such as designing efficient advertisements with social endorsement. Therefore, we propose a statistical methodology that provides such understanding. These platforms contain...