Patent ID: 8239499

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of managing a social network, the method comprising: receiving a request from a first user to establish a connection with a second user via a network; calculating, in response to the request, costs of one or more paths based on a relationship index with the second user for searching for an optimal path, wherein the cost of each of the one or more paths is calculated by assigning a weight value to each of the one or more paths in an inverse proportion to the relationship index between the first user and the second user; and selectively providing one or more paths according to the calculation for the optimal connection between the first user and the second user, wherein the optimal path comprises a path using an intermediate user of the social network, and the path is generated associated with an incentive granted to the intermediate user by subtracting the calculated costs from the first user, the second user, or both of the first user and the second user, wherein the selectively providing further comprises establishing at least one path according to the calculated costs of the one or more paths via one or more intermediate users.