Centrality (social networks)

Centrality in social networks measures how important or influential a person is within the network. It identifies individuals who are key connectors or hubs, meaning they have many direct connections, sit between others who are disconnected, or are close to many others. Different types of centrality focus on aspects like the number of friends (degree), how often someone acts as a bridge between others (betweenness), or how close they are to everyone else (closeness). Understanding centrality helps reveal who holds influence, facilitates information flow, or can impact the spread of ideas within a network.