Algorithms For Dummies

 

   

  PART 6 

 The Part of Tens

As the web has matured and people have become more in tune with devices that 

make connectivity both simpler and ubiquitous, applications such as Facebook 

and sales sites such as Amazon have made greater use of link analysis to do things 

like sell you more products. Of course, some of this connectivity has a negative 

outcome  (see 

http://www.pcmag.com/commentary/351623/facebook-a-tool- 

for-evil

 as an example), but for the most part, link analysis does make it pos-

sible for people to remain better informed and in better contact with the world 

around them.

Of course, link analysis does more than inform in a connected sort of way. Con-

sider the use of link analysis to provide driving directions or to find casual links 

between human activity and disease. Link analysis enables you to see the connec-

tion between things that you might not ordinarily consider but that do have an 

impact on your daily live. Because of link analysis, you might live longer because 

a doctor can advise you on which habits to change to correct issues that could 

become problems later. The point is that connections exist everywhere, and link 

analysis offers a method to determine where these connections exist and whether 

they’re actually important.