<b>Complex Systems Seminar</b><br><i>How Social Network Structure Affects Diffusion and Learning</i>

Speaker: Matthew O. Jackson (Stanford University)

We examine how diffusion and learning processes operating through social networks are affected by homophily (the tendency of individuals to associate with others similar to themselves) and other network characteristics. Homophily has no effect in pure diffusion processes where only shortest paths matter; only connection density matters. In contrast, homophily substantially slows learning based on repeated averaging of neighbors' information, while connection density has no effect.