# Small-world network
## MicroSim spec
- **Recommended sim type:** network dynamics
- **Microsimmability score:** 85/100
- **Layout:** drawing region (canvas) on top; control region (sliders/buttons) below.
### Parameters (tunable controls)
- `Number of nodes`
- `Rewiring probability`
- `Neighbors per node`
### What animates
A ring lattice gains shortcuts and path lengths collapse as rewiring rises.
### Learning objective
Show how a few shortcuts create the small-world effect.
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Small-world_network.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
`23snaps` · `AT_Protocol` · `Academia.edu` · `Account_verification` · `ActivityPub` · `Activity_stream` · `Adjacency_list` · [[Adjacency_matrix]] · `Adolescent_clique` · `Affinity_fraud` · `Affinity_group` · [[Agent-based_model]] · `Airline_hub` · `Albert-László_Barabási` · `Albert_Einstein` · `Alexander_the_Great` · `Algorithmic_amplification` · `Algorithmic_radicalization` · `Ambient_awareness` · `Amikumu` · `Amino_(app)` · `Anobii` · `App.net` · `Are.na` · `AsianAve` · `Ask.fm` · `Assortative_mixing` · `Assortativity` · `Attention_economy` · `Attention_inequality` · `Avatars_United` · `Average_path_length` · `Badoo` · `Balance_theory` · `Barabási–Albert_model` · `BeReal` · `Bebo` · `Behance` · `BharatMatrimony` · `Bianconi–Barabási_model` · `Biological_network` · `Bipartite_graph` · `Bistability` · `Blacksky` · `Blockmodeling` · `Bluesky` · `Bolt_(website)` · `Bondee` · `Boolean_network` · `Brain` · `Brainly` · `BranchOut` · `Brand_page` · `Bridge_(interpersonal)` · `Brightkite` · `Bumble` · `Burned_Haystack_Dating_Method` · `Capazoo` · `Cara_(app)` · [[Centrality]] · `Clapper_(service)` · `Climate_as_complex_networks` · `Clique` · `Clique_(graph_theory)` · `Cloob` · `Clubhouse_(app)` · `Clustering_coefficient` · `Co-occurrence_network` · `Cohost` · `Collaboration_graph` · `Collaborative_consumption` · `Collaborative_finance` · [[Combinatorial_optimization]] · `Community_recognition` · `Community_structure` · `Comparison_of_online_dating_services` · `Comparison_of_social_networking_software` · `Complete_graph` · `Complex_contagion` · `Complex_network` · `Computer_addiction` · [[Computer_hardware]] · `Computer_network` · `Confessions_page` · [[Connectomics]] · `Consequential_strangers` · `Convoz` · `Corporate_social_media` · `Creator_economy` · `Cut_(graph_theory)` · `Cybersectarianism` · `Cycle_(graph_theory)` · `Cyworld` · `Degree_(graph_theory)` · `Degree_distribution` · `Dependency_network` · `Diameter_(graph_theory)` · `Diaspora_(social_network)` · `Diffusion-limited_aggregation` · `Directed_graph` · `Display_(social_network)` · `Distance_(graph_theory)` · `Distributed_Social_Networking_Protocol` · `Distributed_social_network` · `Domain_of_discourse` · `Douban` · `Draugiem.lv` · `Dual-phase_evolution` · `Dunbar's_number` · `Duncan_J._Watts` · `EConozco` · `EWorld` · `Edmodo` · `Efficiency_(network_science)` · `Ello_(social_network)` · `Emojli` · `Enterprise_social_networking` · `Enterprise_social_software` · `Erdős_number` · `Erdős–Rényi_model` · `Evolving_network` · [[Expected_value]] · `Exponential_family_random_graph_models` · `Eyegroove` · `Facebook` · `Fat-tailed_distribution` · `Fediverse` · `FitFinder` · `Fitness_model_(network_theory)` · `Flow_network` · `Foursquare_City_Guide` · `Foursquare_Swarm` · `FriendFeed` · `Friend_of_a_friend` · `Friendica` · `Friending_and_following` · `Friends_Reunited` · `Friendship_paradox` · `Friendship_recession` · `Friendster` · `GNU_social` · `Gab_(social_network)` · `Gapo` · `Gas_(app)` · `Gene` · `Gene_regulatory_network` · `Geosocial_networking` · `Gettr` · `Giant_Global_Graph` · `Google+` · `Google_Buzz` · `Google_Currents_(social_app)` · `Gowalla` · `Graph_(abstract_data_type)` · `Graph_(discrete_mathematics)` · `Graph_drawing` · `Grono.net` · `Group_(online_social_networking)` · `Group_centrality` · `HCL_Connections` · `Hashtag` · `Heello` · `Hello_(social_network)` · `Hi5` · `Hierarchical_network_model` · `Highlight_(application)` · `Hive_Social` · `Homophily` · `Hospitality_exchange_service` · `Houseparty_(app)` · `Hubski` · `Huddles_(app)` · `Hyperbolic_geometric_graph` · `Hypergraph` · `Hyves` · `IGTV` · `IRC-Galleria` · `ITunes_Ping` · `IWiW` · `IdeaPlane` · `Idka` · `Incidence_matrix` · `Influence-for-hire` · `Influencer_marketing` · `Information_overload` · `Instagram` · `Interdependent_networks` · `Internet` · `Issues_relating_to_social_networking_services` · `Jaiku` · `James_H._Fowler` · `Jeevansathi.com` · `Keek` · `Koo_(social_network)` · `Kuaishou` · `Kumu_(social_network)` · `Lancichinetti–Fortunato–Radicchi_benchmark` · `Lateral_communication` · `Letterboxd` · `Lifeknot` · `Like_button` · `Likee` · `Link_analysis` · `LinkedIn` · `List_of_algorithms` · `List_of_defunct_social_networking_services` · `List_of_network_scientists` · `List_of_network_theory_topics` · `List_of_social_networking_services` · `List_of_virtual_communities_with_more_than_1_million_users` · `LiveJournal` · `Logarithm` · `Loop_(graph_theory)` · `Loops_(app)` · `LunarStorm` · `Makeoutclub.com` · `Marco_Polo_(app)` · `Mastodon_(social_network)` · `Matrimony.com` · `Maximum-entropy_random_graph_model` · `Me2day` · `Meebo` · `Meerkat_(app)` · `Meetup` · `Memory` · `Metrics_(networking)` · `Mewe_(social_media)` · `Miaopai` · `Micro.blog` · `Micropub_(protocol)` · `Miiverse` · `Minds_(social_network)` · `Misskey` · `MixBit` · `Mixi` · `Mobile_social_network` · `Mobilizon` · `Mobli` · `Modularity_(networks)` · `Monogatary.com` · `Moodle` · `Moore_graph` · `Mugshot_(website)` · `Multigraph` · `Multiply_(website)` · `Musical.ly` · `Mutation` · `
[email protected]` · `Myspace` · `NK.pl` · `Narrowcasting` · `Natter_(social_network)` · `Nearest_neighbor_search` · `Neighbourhood_(graph_theory)` · `Netlog` · `Network_controllability` · `Network_effect` · [[Network_motif]] · `Network_on_a_chip` · [[Network_science]] · [[Network_theory]] · `Neural_network_(biology)` · `Nexopia` · `Nextdoor` · `Ning_(website)` · `Nostr` · `O'Hare_International_Airport` · `OStatus` · `Odnoklassniki` · `Online_dating` · `Online_identity` · `Online_petition` · `Open-access_poll` · `OpenSocial` · `Organizational_network_analysis` · `Orkut` · `Overchoice` · `Parler` · `Path_(graph_theory)` · `Path_(social_network)` · [[Pattern_formation]] · `Peach_(social_network)` · `Peeple_(app)` · `Peer_pressure` · `Percolation_theory` · `Periscope_(service)` · `Persona_(user_experience)` · `Personal_knowledge_networking` · `Personal_network` · `Pheed` · `Piczo` · `Pillowfort` · `Pinterest` · `Pixelfed` · `Pixnet` · `PlanetAll` · `Pleroma_(software)` · `Plurk` · `Posterous` · `Pownce` · `Preferential_attachment` · `Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_services` · `Problematic_social_media_use` · `Professional_network_service` · `Promo.com` · `Protein–protein_interaction` · `Pump.io` · `Qaiku` · `Qzone` · `Random_geometric_graph` · `Random_graph` · `Readgeek` · `Reblogging` · `Reciprocity_(network_science)` · `Renren` · `Reputation_system` · `ResearchGate` · `Sara_Solla` · [[Scale-free_network]] · `Scale_invariance` · `Scientific_collaboration_network` · `Seeking.com` · `Semantic_network` · `Semantic_social_network` · `Sexual_network` · `Shaadi.com` · `ShareChat` · `Sharing_economy` · `Short-term_memory` · `SixDegrees.com` · `Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon` · `Six_degrees_of_separation` · `Skyrock_(social_network_site)` · `Small-world_experiment` · `Snapchat` · `Snow_(app)` · `So.cl` · `Social_aspects_of_television` · `Social_bot` · `Social_capital` · `Social_commerce` · `Social_data_revolution` · `Social_exchange_theory` · `Social_graph` · `Social_identity_theory` · `Social_influence` · `Social_invisibility` · `Social_media` · `Social_media_analytics` · `Social_media_and_psychology` · `Social_media_and_suicide` · `Social_media_intelligence` · `Social_media_mining` · `Social_media_optimization` · `Social_media_use_in_politics` · `Social_movement` · `Social_network` · `Social_network_advertising` · `Social_network_aggregation` · [[Social_network_analysis]] · `Social_network_analysis_software` · `Social_network_game` · `Social_network_hosting_service` · `Social_networking_service` · `Social_profiling` · `Social_sorting` · `Social_television` · `Social_web` · `Soft_configuration_model` · `Spaces_(social_network)` · `Spatial_network` · `Spoke–hub_distribution_paradigm` · `Spotify_Live` · `Spoutible` · `Spring.me` · `Stanley_Milgram` · `Steven_Strogatz` · `Stochastic_block_model` · `Story_(social_media)` · `Streetlife_(website)` · `Structural_cohesion` · `Structural_endogamy` · `StudiVZ` · `System_on_a_chip` · `TV_Time` · `Tagged_(website)` · `Taimi` · `Tal_Canal` · `Talkbits` · `Taringa!` · `Tastebuds.fm` · `Tbh` · `TeaOnHer` · `Tea_(app)` · `Tea_Party_Community` · `Telecommunications_network` · `Tellonym` · `The_Meet_Group` · `Third_Voice` · `Thirst_trap` · `Threads_(social_network)` · `TikTok` · `Tinder_(app)` · `Tout_(company)` · `TradingView` · `Transcriptional_regulation` · `Transitive_relation` · `Triadic_closure` · `Tribe.net` · `Tribe_(internet)` · `Triller_(app)` · `Trust_Café` · `Truth_Social` · `Tuenti` · `Tumblr` · `Tvtag` · `Untappd` · `UpScrolled` · `Use_of_social_network_websites_in_investigations` · `User_interface` · `User_profile` · `VK_(service)` · `Value_network` · `Vero_(app)` · `Vertex_(graph_theory)` · `Viadeo` · `Vine_(service)` · `Viral_marketing` · `Viral_phenomenon` · `Virtual_collective_consciousness` · `Virus` · `Viva_Engage` · `Wall.fm` · `Watts–Strogatz_model` · [[Wayback_Machine]] · `Web_2.0_Suicide_Machine` · `Weibo` · `Whisper_(app)` · `White-label_product` · `Windows_Live_Spaces` · `Wretch_(website)` · `XING` · `XMPP` · `X_(social_network)` · `Xanga` · `Xiaohongshu` · `Yahoo_360°` · `Yahoo_Kickstart` · `Yahoo_Mash` · `Yahoo_Meme` · `Yik_Yak` · `Yo_(app)` · `ZunZuneo` · `Zune_Social`
> p5.js MicroSim stub · part of Systems Thinking · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_network)
> Relation: subfield of systems thinking.
## Concept summary
A small-world network is a graph characterized by a high clustering coefficient and low distances. In an example of a social network, high clustering implies the high probability that two friends of one person are friends themselves.
## Build checklist
- [ ] Claim it: set `status: in-progress` + `lease` + `leased_at`
- [ ] Write the child page explaining the concept (tie it back to systems thinking)
- [ ] Finalize parameter ranges and defaults
- [ ] Implement the p5.js sketch (drawing + control regions)
- [ ] Add caption + the learning objective on the page
- [ ] Set `status: done`
## p5.js sketch
```javascript
// MicroSim: Small-world network
let controls = {};
function setup() {
// createCanvas(...); create sliders for the parameters above.
}
function draw() {
// background(...); read controls; render network dynamics; respond live.
}
```
---
Back to Systems Thinking · Wikipedia: [Small-world network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_network)
---
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:START -->
## Semiotic profile
> *The semiotic universals this article invokes, machine-derived from the crossref — **unverified** (born so). Populated 2026-07-06 for the Systems room.*
**Universals (5):** 🟢 network (26) · 🟡 system (10) · 🟡 science (5) · 🟢 probability (4) · 🟢 lattice (2)
**Enter by sign:** Systems Semiotic Gateway · Alphabetum · Icon Registry · ← Systems Portal
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:END -->
## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_network) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Small-world_network)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parents: [[Complex_system]] · [[Cybernetics]] · [[Emergence]] · [[Feedback]] · [[Network_theory]] · [[Self-organization]] · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]].
Legacy hubs: none.
---
*Sources: 2 legacy notes. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*