computer science

Sexual network

Sexual network is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sexual network rather than just read about it. In short: A sexual network is a social network that is defined by the sexual relationships within a set of individuals. Studies and discoveries Like other forms of social networks, sexual networks can be formally studied using the mathematics of graph theory and network theory.

Key takeaways

Sexual network belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sexual network to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sexual network from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A sexual network is a social network that is defined by the sexual relationships within a set of individuals.

Studies and discoveries Like other forms of social networks, sexual networks can be formally studied using the mathematics of graph theory and network theory. Recent epidemiological studies have investigated sexual networks, and suggest that the statistical properties of sexual networks are crucial to the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sub-graphs, both large and small, can be defined within the overall sexual network graph; for example, people who frequent particular bars or clubs, belong to a particular ethnic group or take part in a particular type of sexual activity, or are part of a particular outbreak of an STI. In particular, assortative mixing between people with large numbers of sexual partners seems to be an important factor in the spread of an STI. In a surprising result, mathematical models predict that the sexual network graph for the human race appears to have a single giant component that indirectly links almost all people who have had more than one sexual partner, and a great many of those who have had only one sexual partner (if their one sexual partner was themselves part of the giant component). For more detailed epidemiological work, the time sequence of sexual contacts is important.

See also Bugchasing Contact tracing Small world experiment Social network

References

Further reading M Kretzschmar. "Sexual network structure and sexually transmitted disease prevention: a modeling perspective". Sexually Transmitted Diseases volume 27, number 10 (November 2000): pages 627– 35. De, P.; et al. (2004). "Sexual network analysis of a gonorrhea outbreak". Sex Transm Infect. 80 (4): 280–285. doi:10.1136/sti.2003.007187. PMC 1744860. PMID 15295126. Bearman, P. S.; Moody, J.; Stovel, K. (2004). "Chains of Affection: The Structure of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Networks". American Journal of Sociology. 110 (1): 44–91. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.483.9666. doi:10.1086/386272. S2CID 13493350. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |citeseerx= (help) L E C Rocha, F Liljeros and P Holme Information dynamics shape the sexual networks of Internet-mediated prostitution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences free online (March 2010). Apostolopoulos, Y.; Sönmez, S.; Shattell, M.; Kronenfeld, J.; Smith, D.; Stanton, S. (2011). "Cruising for Truckers on Highways and the Internet: Sexual Networks and Infection Risk" (PDF). AIDS Education and Prevention. 23 (3): 249–266. doi:10.1521/aeap.2011.23.3.249. PMID 21696243. O'Connor, M. L. (1999). "Sexual Network Patterns Contribute to Racial Disparities in Disease Risk. Family". Planning Perspectives. 31 (6): 309–310. doi:10.2307/2991545. JSTOR 2991545. Choudhury, B.; Risley, C.; Ghani, A.; Bishop, C.; Ward, H.; Fenton, K.; Spratt, B. (2006). "Identification of individuals with gonorrhoea within sexual networks: a population-based study". Lancet. 368 (9530): 139–146. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69003-X. PMID 16829298. S2CID 21770641. Day, S. S.; Ward, H. H. (1998). "Sexual networks: The integration of social and genetic data". Social Science & Medicine. 47 (12): 1981–92. doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(98)00306-2. PMID 10075241. Nyanzi, S., Nyanzi, B., Kalina, B., & Pool, R. (n.d). Mobility, sexual networks and exchange among bodabodamen in southwest Uganda. Taylor & Francis Ltd. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Morris, Martina; Zavisca, Jane; Dean, Laura (1995). "Social and sexual networks: Their role in the spread of HIV/AIDS among young gay men". AIDS Education and Prevention. 7 (Suppl): 24–35. PMID 8664095.

External links Researchers map the sexual network of an entire high school Patterns of prostitution captured in social network

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sexual network

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sexual network claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sexual network before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sexual network ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sexual network

In research: Sexual network appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sexual network in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sexual network is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Epidemiology, Sexual health, Sexuality and society, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sexual network outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sexual network in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sexual network means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sexual network out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sexual network in simple terms?

A sexual network is a social network that is defined by the sexual relationships within a set of individuals. Studies and discoveries Like other forms of social networks, sexual networks can be formally studied using the mathematics of graph theory and network theory.

Why does Sexual network matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sexual network?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sexual network.