Inferring social networks from physical interactions: a feasibility study

The purpose of this paper is to present a prototype system that can be used to capture longitudinal socialising processes by recording people's encounters in space.

The paper presents the results of a longitudinal study, carried out with members of the public, which demonstrates the capabilities of the system.

The findings show that community structure can be inferred from physical interactions, and that different locations exhibit varying community structures.

The paper argues that such a system can usefully be deployed in environments where people interact and socialise, as a mechanism for inferring the underlying network structure of those people's relationships.