Kontaktiparin

Kontaktiparin is a Finnish term used in epidemiology and network science to denote a direct contact event between two individuals within a defined time window. In data sets, a kontaktiparin represents an edge linking two nodes, accompanied by metadata such as the time of contact, duration, and, in some implementations, the proximity or intensity of interaction. The term is commonly used in Finnish-language literature on contact networks and digital contact tracing.

Etymology and form: The word is built from kontakti (contact) and pari (pair). The form kontaktiparin is the genitive case, meaning "of the contact pair," and is used to refer to the pair itself in possessive constructions (e.g., the kontaktiparin characteristics).

Data structure and usage: A kontaktiparin typically comprises two identifiers for the individuals involved, a timestamp or time interval, and optional fields such as duration, signal strength, or confidence score. Edges may be aggregated into contact-network graphs to study transmission potential, clustering, or to compute metrics such as degree distribution and contact-frequency.

Applications: In epidemiology, kontaktiparin form the basic units for contact tracing datasets and transmission modeling. In network science, they are used to study the structure of interaction patterns, to simulate outbreak scenarios, and to evaluate interventions like isolation or vaccination strategies.

Limitations: The concept is subject to privacy concerns and sampling biases. Data quality depends on device coverage, reporting accuracy, and the chosen time window. Methods such as anonymization and data minimization are commonly employed.

See also: contact tracing, contact network, edge in a graph, transmission modeling.