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Reviewer: H. Van Dyke Parunak

The notion of network-a collection of nodes with edges connecting some of them-is increasingly popular as a way to represent structures and constraints in a growing array of domains, including sociology, economics, genetics, informatics, communications, and logistics. A number of approaches have been taken to study networks. Prominent among them are analytical mathematics, computer simulations, and empirical analysis of real-world networks. The first of these approaches, mathematical analysis, is the focus of this book. Jackson has collected a wide array of theorems, many from his own previous work, and presents them and their proofs in a common notation, grouped by themes and topics. This monographic treatment is an important benefit to the field, providing greater integration and coverage than multi-author anthologies-such as those edited by Bornholdt and Schuster [1], or by Newman, Barab?si, and Watts [2]-that have until now been the mainstays of students and researchers in network studies. Along the way, Jackson relates his results to important empirical analyses; however, apart from a brief mention in Section 11.8 and the one-page afterword, he says nothing about the important and extensive research being done in simulations of network structures that are not amenable to closed-form analysis. Jackson organizes his material into four parts. The introductory Part 1 provides basic definitions and mathematical foundations. It also briefly reviews some of the empirical work that uses networks as a representational framework. Part 2 surveys various models of network formation, including various random graph models; extensions to random graphs, such as preferential attachment; and network formation schemes driven by strategic benefit. Part 3 examines processes that take place in a network, including diffusion, learning, social interactions such as games, and markets. A striking omission in this part is any reference to the minority game, a formal derivative of the El Farol bar problem that has proven a rich model for a wide range of social interactions. Part 4 surveys methods and tools for studying networks, with special emphasis on game-theoretic models of network formation. This part also reviews some of the methodology applied to the empirical study of real-world networks. Each chapter offers a rich array of exercises that range from simple tests of reader understanding to unsolved research problems. The exercises often contain hints that extend the exposition in the body of the text. An integrated bibliography of 675 items extends through the year 2008. In summary, Jackson offers the research community an excellent integrated treatment of networks, from a formal perspective, with links to empirical studies-for practitioners whose methodology is less formal-but leaving room for a systematic exposition of ongoing computational work in network structure and dynamics. Online Computing Reviews Service