A graph is therefore a structure that models the relationship between the set of vertices and the set of edges, not the other way around.Ī brief note on terminology before we proceed further: graphs are a joint subject of study for both mathematics and network theory. Notice how the order of the two sets between parentheses matters, because conventionally we always indicate first the vertices and then the edges. We can then define a graph as the structure which models the relationship between the two sets: We usually indicate with the set of vertices, and with the set of edges. The idea behind edges is that they indicate, if they are present, the existence of a relationship between two objects, that we imagine the edges to connect. An edge, if it exists, is a link or a connection between any two vertices of a graph, including a connection of a vertex to itself. In January, for example, it upgraded its Personal Analytics for Facebook platform, giving users the ability to mine their own social-networking data in new ways.Edges instead are optional, in the sense that graphs with no edges can still be defined. This isn’t the first time that Wolfram Alpha’s done something designed to boost its profile in the eyes of your average Web surfer. It also compared the stats of Colin Kaepernick, the replacement for injured 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, and found some data points that could help San Francisco, at least with regard to rushing yards:īut there’s always an element of unpredictability to these sorts of things: no matter how accurate the analytics engine backing Wolfram Alpha, there’s always the chance that something-a freak injury, a stray gust of wind at a crucial moment-could alter the dynamics on the ground in ways unpredictable by historical data. On the player front, Wolfram Alpha also ran a graph comparing the sacking history of Ray Lewis, a Ravens’ star linebacker, with that of 49ers’ linebacker Aldon Smith, and found their data radically different: So the venue is sort of a draw, at least as far as historical data is concerned. The 49ers have played a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this season and won the Ravens played at the stadium once in recent times, and won as well. “They have the same number of touchdowns, nearly the same number of points, yards, and field goals, and similar third down conversion percentages.” All that being said, the 49ers have done all that in fewer plays, a potential sign that the team plays “more efficiently.” This year, however, the two teams’ stats are “annoying similar,” the posting continued. They score more touchdowns and they move across the field more frequently.” “And when they play, the Ravens objectively get more done. (An extensive rundown of Wolfram Alpha’s capabilities is available on its “About” page.)īut how does the system feel about Sunday’s game? “There can be years between games with the Ravens and 49ers,” read a Feb. Solving complex math problems is a particular strength: simply type one into the search bar, and the system produces an answer.
Type in the name of a celebrity, for example, and the output includes dates of birth and death, height, a chart of notable accomplishments, and even a graph of Wikipedia page hits over the years.ĭeveloped by Stephen Wolfram and based his Wolfram Research’s Mathematica analytical platform, Wolfram Alpha contains more than 10 trillion pieces of data cultivated from primary sources, along with tens of thousands of algorithms and equations.
Unlike the latter two, which return pages of blue hyperlinks (or thumbnail previews of visual media) in response to queries, Wolfram Alpha produces a definitive, usually numerical answer. Now approaching its fourth anniversary, Wolfram Alpha is an altogether different search engine from either Google or Bing. Wolfram Alpha isn’t making any guarantees, but the self-billed “computational knowledge engine” is willing to crunch the numbers and throw out a few data points about this Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Baltimore Ravens will face off against the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans. Can an analytics engine predict the Super Bowl?
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