Title: Gains, losses and thresholds of influence in social networks

Authors: J. Todd Hamill, Richard F. Deckro, Victor D. Wiley, Robert S. Renfro

Addresses: Department of Operational Sciences, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 45433-7765, USA. ' Department of Operational Sciences, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 45433-7765, USA. ' Department of Operational Sciences, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 45433-7765, USA. ' Department of Operational Sciences, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 45433-7765, USA

Abstract: Influence campaigns seek to achieve political objectives through conveyance of information that affects behaviour. Further developing connections between Social Science|s interpersonal influence theory and Operations Research|s (OR) network flow formulation, the resulting methodology explores courses of action seeking to influence an inaccessible target audience using their indigenous social network as a conduit. A notional clandestine organisation using the Generalized Network Flow (GNF) problem is analysed. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the sponsors, the US Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US government.

Keywords: military; influence campaigns; linear programming; graphs; behaviour; social networks; interpersonal influence theory; network flow formulation; operational research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2007.014168

International Journal of Operational Research, 2007 Vol.2 No.4, pp.357 - 379

Published online: 24 Jun 2007 *

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