Addressing the need for new models for the analysis of social network data, Philippa Pattison presents a unified approach to the algebraic analysis of both complete and local networks. The rationale for an algebraic approach to describing structure in social networks is outlined, and algebras representing different types of networks are introduced. Procedures for comparing algebraic representations are described, and a method of analysing the representations into simpler components is introduced.

This analytic method, factorisation, yields an efficient analysis of both complete and local social networks. The first two chapters describe the algebraic representations of the types of networks, and the third chapter covers the ways in which representations of different networks can be compared. A general procedure for analysing the algebraic representations is then introduced, and a number of applications of the approach are presented in the final chapters.

The book should be of interest to all researchers interested in using social network methods.