Density

There is a finite number of lines in any graph, and the number of nodes determines the maximum. Density is the ratio of lines that are actually present in the graph to the theoretically possible maximum. In Figure 3.2, the circle network has low density, meaning that there is a low number of lines between the nodes relative to the number that could exist (e.g., A and F could be connected, I and C could be connected). The greater that ratio is, the more interactions occur within a group, which can be measured as cohesiveness. Within groups larger than two people, this indicates the “extent to which network members know and interact with each other.”