Generalized Blockmodeling

Ken Webb 2010-03-23T17:53:41Z

Generalized Blockmodeling is a concept developed by the Slovenian mathematician Vladimir Batagelj. An extensive presentation, V. Batagelj, A. Ferligoj, P. Doreian: Generalized blockmodeling (SFI/SAS workshop: The dynamics of groups and institutions. Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, 7.-11. June 2004), is available online.

Blockmodeling as a clustering problem The goal of blockmodeling is to reduce a large, potentially incoherent network to a smaller comprehensible structure that can be interpreted more readily. Blockmodeling, as an empirical procedure, is based on the idea that units in a network can be grouped according to the extent to which they are equivalent, according to some meaningful definition of equivalence. (page 5 of the June 2004 presentation)

Blockmodeling could be used to simplify Xholon networks, and to automatically derive hierarchical structure.

A related paper is Role Models for Complex Networks by Jorg Reichardt and Douglas R. White.

See also Mark Round's blockmodelling Bookmarks.

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