Year: 2001
Type: article
Abstract: We develop a method allowing us to reconstruct individual tastes of customers from a sparsely connected network of their opinions on products, services, or each other. Two distinct phase transitions occur as the density of edges in this network is increased: Above the first, macroscopic prediction of tastes becomes possible; while above the second, all unknown opinions can be uniquely reconstructed. We illustrate our ideas using a simple Gaussian model, which we study using both field-theoretical methods and numerical simulations. We point out a potential relevance of our approach to the field of bioinformatics.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Sergei Maslov, Yi-Cheng Zhang
Institutions: University of Fribourg, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1998761108