Kartik Hosanagar, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Title: Analyzing Product and Page Networks on the Web
Abstract: The network of hyperlinks that defines the world wide web is also a fundamental building block that drives product and media discovery on the web. In many instances, these networks are algorithmically generated. For example, algorithmic recommendations such as Amazon’s “people who bought this product also bought …” create links between products resulting in a network of interconnected products on retail websites. Similarly, video recommendations on YouTube connect related videos together. These networks, in turn, drives consumer navigation on online websites. What determines the structure of these product networks? What is the economic impact of these networks? Precisely quantifying the impact of hyperlink networks on product and website success is empirically challenging. For example, while inlinks might drive product success, product success or popularity also drives inlinks. In this talk, I will discuss some of my recent studies on the antecedents and consequences of algorithmically generated product networks.