13.2 Measuring connectivity of networks

• Br(i/e)dge: The only tie that connects two otherwise distinct components in a network.
  

• Local br(i/e)dge: The tie that greatly reduces the distance -tie range- between two modules.
  

In a network were connections are redundant there is an absence of bridges. This is the case for small world networks! Nevertheless, on can still explore local bridges.

• vertex connectivity: The vertex connectivity of a graph is the minimum vertex connectivity of all pairs of vertices in the graph/ the lowest number of vertices in a connected graph whose removal disconnects the graph (articulation points).
  

• Burt’s Constraint: It is commonly used as a measure of structural holes (accurately speaking, the lack of it, because the larger the constraint value, the less structural opportunities a node have for bridging structural holes.)

  • Negatively correlated to betweeness.