Network Analysis of Online Auction

The paper presents the use of methods of social network analyses in the area of online systems with a view to electronic auction. The paper presents a preliminary effort. We use in our work data from the biggest Internet auction in Czech republic aukro.cz. The aim is to extract the needed data and to create tree structured representation with the aid of Matlab programming system. The aim is to create a set of tools for visualization of analyses of online systems social networks that would enable among others the study of social interaction among sellers and buyers interacting within an online system. The communication within these systems proceeds as a rule under the situation when they are not in physical contact and hence do not know each other. They have therefore to rely on mechanisms implemented within prospective systems. The seller can sell almost anything within the online electronic auction. A seller opens the bidding and stipulates an opening price and termination of auction. The buyer with the highest bid wins and obtains offered goods. In this paper we describe obtaining the needed data from online electronic auction aukro.cz and creating of social networks and their visualization.