The aim of this book is to provide a systematic account of a recent body of theoretical research that lies at the intersection of two fertile strands of literature. One of these strands, the study of complex networks, is a new field that has been developing at a fast pace during the last decade. The other one, social network analysis, has been an active area of research in sociology and economics for quite some time now – only lately, however, has it started to be seriously concerned with the implications of complexity. There is, I believe, much potential in bringing these two approaches together to shed light on network-based phenomena in complex social environments. This monograph is written with the intention of helping both the social scientist and other network researchers in this fascinating endeavor.

For the social scientist, the monograph may be used, inter alia, as a self-contained introduction to some of the main issues and techniques that mark the modern literature on complex networks. Since this literature has largely developed as an outgrowth of statistical physics, some of the powerful methodology being used is often alien to researchers from other disciplines. On the other hand, for the network theorist who lacks an economic background, the present monograph can fulfill a reciprocal role. Specifically, it may serve as an illustration of the questions and concerns that inform the economists' approach to the study of socioeconomic networks.