Overview

Despite its haphazard growth, the Web hides powerful underlying regularities-from the organization of its links to the patterns found in its use by millions of users. Many of these regularities have been predicted on the basis of theoretical models based on a field of physics-statistical mechanics-that few would have thought applicable to the social domain. In this book, Bernardo Huberman explains in accessible language the laws of the Web. He has established, for example, that the surfing patterns of individuals are describable by a precise law. Such findings can lead to more efficient Web design and use. They also shed light on social mechanisms whose significance goes beyond the Web. In this sense, the Web is a gigantic informational ecosystem that can be used to quantify and test explanations of human behaviour and social interaction.

Full Product Details

9780262582254

Table of Contents

Reviews

An intriguing book that gives people without advanced math skills a window into how researchers are helping make sense of the Web. - Curtis D. Fry, Technology & Society For those determined to formulate a working understanding of the performance of individuals and communities on the World Wide Web, The Laws of the Web has a great many insights to offer. - Jane C. Duffy, Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship

Author Information

Bernardo A. Huberman is an HP Fellow at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto, California.

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