Dots and Lines: Hidden Networks in Social Media, AI, and Nature

by Anthony Bonato

Overview

Can networks unlock secrets of AI or make sense of a social media mess? A behind-the-scenes look at how networks reveal reality.

According to mathematician Anthony Bonato, the hidden world of networks permeates our lives in astounding ways. From Bitcoin transactions to neural connections, his book explains how networks shape everything from political landscapes to climate patterns and how deceptively simple dots and lines can unveil the wonders of technology, society, and even nature.

From a fresh and startling look at the true impact of clever keywords in politicians' social media posts to a fun breakdown of survival strategies in reality TV shows, Bonato shows us how network theory operates everywhere. Each chapter focuses on a unique aspect of networks to reveal how they provide a captivating lens for bringing diverse phenomena into clearer focus.

The book offers an accessible snapshot of networks for anyone curious about what makes the modern world tick. Bonato's insights will give readers a deeper appreciation and understanding of networks and their relevance to our everyday lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421451268
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

Anthony Bonato is a professor in the department of mathematics at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is the author of A Course on the Web Graph, An Invitation to Pursuit-Evasion Games and Graph Theory, and Limitless Minds: Interviews with Mathematicians.

Table of Contents

Author's Note
0. The Network Lens
1. The Twitter President
2. Survivor of the Fittest?
3. It's a Very, Very Small World
4. Memes Spread Like Wildfire
5. Catch Me If You Can
6. All the World's a Network
7. Space: The Final Frontier
8. Cells Interlinked
9. The Geometry of Position
10. Our Networked World
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This book changed the way I think about math! Dots and Lines explores the invisible threads that link us all together. Bonato spins those threads beautifully, and offers mathematical proof that we're all more connected than we think.
—Kyne Santos, author of Math in Drag

Dots and Lines provides a lively account of the rich interactions between the abstract mathematical study of networks and everything else.
—Emily Riehl, Johns Hopkins University

A must-read for anyone trying to keep up with the technology that drives today's world. A glance into network science and its many applications, written with the rigor of an expert but intended for everyone. As engaging as it is informative.
—Maria Chudnovsky, Princeton University

The book brilliantly explains the concepts of modern network science via the most interesting and current examples from real life. Topics include tweets of President Trump, spread of memes on social media and the spread of Covid-19. This makes the text both captivating and educational. Perfect for a curious reader!
—Nataša Pržulj, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and University College London

Anthony Bonato shows how the hidden mysteries of networks are unfolded by simply joining dots and forming lines.
—Fan Chung, University of California, San Diego

Dots and Lines is an entertaining introduction to modern network science covering topics ranging from the lighthearted to the serious. But more than that, it is an authentic and heartfelt chronicle of one mathematician's decades long love affair with graph theory and network science, and an invitation to share in that love by appreciating the dots and lines that surround each of us.
—Stephen J. Young, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Forget everything you think you know about math books—this one's a game changer! Bonato makes networks come alive in a way that's juicy, exciting, and totally unexpected. He turns math into a thrilling adventure, showing us just how alluring and fascinating it can really be. Get ready to be hooked!
—Vanessa Vakharia, author of Math Therapy: 5 Steps to Help Your Students Overcome Math Trauma and Build a Better Relationship With Math

Editorial Reviews

Delightfully nerdish. . . . Bonato, a reliable and affable narrator, gives a rigorous survey of network applications: constellations and galaxies; memes on social media; the 100 billion neurons, connected by 100 trillion synapses, in the human brain.
—Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher