SMALL-SCALE: A NEW MODEL OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

Despite social network analysis has been subject to scientific interest, further study of the dynamics of networks have been recently developed by a new interdisciplinary science, rooted in sociological research and in the evolution of Graph Theory: the Science of Networks. Researches in this area subverted predefined concepts, presenting revelations about the interconnected social universe, highlighting the demystification of six degrees of separation with the confirmation of "small world" phenomenon. Grounded on these findings, we propose in this paper a new model of social networks called small-scale networks, engendered by the improvement of existing models. As a way of validation, we have built the Fluzz application, able to simulate the generation of social networks through this new model, and through other major literature models (random, small-world and scale-free networks), graphing the networks conceived. The simulation results have shown that small-scale networks are a real alternative to the evolution of society.