Links are the lines that connect the nodes in a network to each other. They are sometimes called "Edges". LinkSViewer helps you to explore the networks in the LinkSV database by providing several different views that reflect different ways to visualize a particular network. Part of what makes these views different is the way the links are defined. There are two general classes of links presented by LinkSViewer: Natural and Derived. This section of the Tutorial will explain the difference between Natural and Derived links. To see a list of the different map types and the links they contain, click here.

The Relational Map is the first map that you see by default in LinkSViewer, and Natural Links appear only in the Relational Map. Links are considered Natural when they connect two nodes because of an actual and direct relationship between the two entities that the nodes represent. It is impossible to have a Natural Link between two of the same type of node.

By definition this is impossible. Companies are receivers of investments, and Investors are donors. However, this is why the Investor Nodes are split into Venture Capital and Corporate (and Individuals). Corporate Investors are companies being represented as investment donors in the database. For example, "Apple Computer" exists as both an Investor and a Company in the LinkSViewer database, and it is arguable that the best network to examine Apple Computer's investment network must be a combined network with both the Investor and Company nodes included.

The map below is for the company ActiveGrid. In the map you can see each of the three different colors of Natural Links, and below the map is a Legend explaining their meaning.

The links in Example 1 (above) each represent actual 'real world' relationships:

Each of these connections exists in the real world. In the next section you will see how, Derived Links are relationships that are developed and defined from studying the Natural Links.

In all of the other map views, except for the Relational Map, only Derived Links appear. The Company Map for ActiveGrid is shown in Example 2 (below). In this map the companies are not linked to each other because of a real-world relationship.

As explained above, if a Company exists that has invested into other companies, then it can be represented in LinkSViewer networks by two distinct nodes - one of which is a Company (box) and another which is an Investor (oval). They both represent the same corporate entity, but one for its donation of funds, and the other for reception.

In the LinkSViewer map we see Companies linked directly to other Companies. These are not Natural Links. These are Derived Links that indicate affiliations in Common. This is the same for Investors linked to Investors in the Investor Map by having invested into at least two of the same Companies. The number of common affiliations is adjustable with the MinLink feature (learn more), but the default setting is 2. This is also the same for Person nodes linked to Person nodes in the Person Map by having worked on the Management Team or sat on the Board of at least two of the same Companies.

In Example 2 (below) we can see the Company Map for ActiveGrid. The Company nodes are linked to each other because they share common investors, common board members, common management team members, or any combination thereof. The legend below the map shows the meaning of the yellow, orange, and red links.

In Example 2 all of the links are orange. According to the legend the orange links represent a relationship where the two linked companies share People (Board Members or Management Team) and/or Investors in common. All of the links in this map are orange, indicating that all of the companies that are linked to one another share at least 1 investor in common and at least 1 person in common.

These commonalities between the linked companies are translated into links in this map, and show how this type of link is 'Derived' from real-world relationships. In this case they are derived from People and Investors in common.