Contemporary · Network Theory · Essay
Reed's Law & Group-Forming Networks
David P. Reed · 2001
"Reed argued that tools that let users form groups — not just connect one-to-one or broadcast one-to-many — have value that scales as 2^n, vastly outpacing Metcalfe's n², because the number of possible subgroups explodes."
Metcalfe counted connections. Reed counted groups. His 2001 addition: the number of possible subgroups in a network of n people is 2ⁿ, which is why group-forming tools — mailing lists, subreddits, Discord servers — can become explosive once they cross a threshold.
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Metcalfe's Law
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Robert Metcalfe · ModelContinue→