Introduction to friendship networks and friendship relational datasets

In this section, we’ll consider a friendship network based on student behavior factors to form a network. We’ll then apply unsupervised learning (UL) methods, namely clustering, to group individuals into friendship groups to compare performance before and after adding extra network structural information.

Friendship network introduction

Let’s consider a group of classmates in a small school with enrollment based on age and geography, as is common in the United States. Classmates may participate in the same extracurricular activities, such as sports teams, the school paper, or a concert band. They may also study together, share meals, or get together to hang out on weekends. Some may form a core group of friends who take some of the same classes, participate in the same extracurriculars, study together, and hang out together outside of school-related activities. Strong social ties such...