A Beginner’s Guide to Network Analysis with NetworkX

Navigating the Web of Connections with Python’s NetworkX Library

Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash

Whether you’re unraveling the intricate relationships within social networks or deciphering the complex structure of the internet, network analysis is the key to understanding the hidden patterns that connect entities.

In this article, we’ll dive into the basics of network analysis using NetworkX, a powerful Python library that simplifies the complexities of graph theory and makes it accessible even for beginners.

Understanding Networks

Before we jump into the coding, let’s demystify what networks are. At its core, a network is a collection of nodes and edges, representing entities and the connections between them. Think of your Facebook friends as nodes and the friendships as edges — you’ve got yourself a social network.

Getting Started with NetworkX

To start our journey into network analysis, you’ll need to install NetworkX. Open your terminal or command prompt and type:

pip install networkx

Once installed, fire up your favorite Python environment and let’s begin by creating a simple network.

import networkx as…