Triangle Count

Measure network cohesion and clustering

Counts the number of triangles (3-node cycles) in the network.

What It Computes

Total number of closed triangles in the graph.

When to Use It

  • Cohesion measurement: How tightly knit is the network?
  • Community strength: More triangles = stronger communities
  • Social analysis: "Friend of friend" connections

Performance

Time: O(E × avg_degree)
Scales to: 10M edges

Example

Use Cases

Community Health

More triangles = stronger community bonds

Trust Networks

Triangles indicate mutual connections (higher trust)

Fraud Detection

Lack of triangles = suspicious (fake accounts don't know each other)

See Also