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While analytically, I think you want to be careful about the  
implications of dropping infinite distances, I have found it useful  
for graphing and similar applications to assign an arbitrary distance  
of n (the number of nodes/actors), since the maximum width of a  
connected graph is n-1.  Plotting infinity, or things like average  
distance, become incalculable when infinities are present.  I'm not  
sure there is a "right" answer.

G

On May 20, 2007, at 6:39 PM, Corey Phelps wrote:

> *****  To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org  *****
>
> I have computed the geodesic distances for all possible dyadic  
> combinations
> of actors in a network. The network is not completely connected and  
> thus for
> some dyads, there is no path between them. Theoretically, the geodesic
> distance between two such actors is infinity. One approach would be  
> to drop
> dyadic observations with an infinite path length from my analysis  
> and treat
> them as missing data. However, I am looking for suggestions about  
> assigning
> an actual value for distance (or a transformation thereof) for such  
> dyads so
> they do not fall out of my analysis. I would appreciate any and all  
> help
> from the list. Thanks.
>
> Corey
>
> Corey Phelps, PhD
> Asst. Professor, Management & Organization
> University of Washington Business School
> Box 353200
> Seattle, WA 98195
> (206) 543-6579

Guy Hagen, President
Innovation Insight, Inc.
27810 Sky Lake Circle
Wesley Chapel, FL 33543
http://innovationinsight.com/
813.997.2111




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