Linkkiverkko

Linkkiverkko, or link network, is a directed graph consisting of nodes and links where the edges represent relationships between the nodes. In a web context, the nodes are web pages or sites and the edges are hyperlinks from one page to another. Linkkiverkko can be internal (within a single site) or external, and links can be one-way or reciprocal. The structure of a linkkiverkko influences navigation, information retrieval, and the visibility of pages.

From a graph-theoretic perspective, a linkkiverkko has possible edge weights and contains properties such as in-degree and out-degree distributions, strongly connected components, clustering, and average path length. Web-derived linkkiverkko often exhibit scale-free degree distributions and small-world characteristics, which have implications for navigation and robustness.

Common metrics used to analyze a linkkiverkko include degree centrality, betweenness and closeness centrality, eigenvector centrality, and PageRank or other authority measures. Community structure and modularity are used to identify clusters of related pages or themes, aiding understanding of information organization.

Models and simulation of linkkiverkko often employ network generation approaches such as Erdős–Rényi random graphs, Barabási–Albert preferential attachment, or Watts–Strogatz small-world models. PageRank-like algorithms leverage the link structure to rank nodes by perceived importance, with damping factors to account for random jumps.

Applications of linkkiverkko analysis include search engine indexing and ranking, link-based authority assessment, information retrieval, web navigation design, and content recommendation. The concept also applies to other domains where items are connected by directed references, such as citation networks or social links.

See also: PageRank, HITS algorithm, hyperlink, network theory, social network analysis.