Patent ID: 8271585

Claim:
A method in a computing device for identifying an intermediary for a relationship contact between a first member of a first network and a second member of a second network, the method comprising: providing the first network of members, each member of the first network having a relationship with one or more other members of the first network, the first network represented as a first graph with nodes and links, each member of the first network represented as a node and the relationships represented as links between nodes, each member of the first network having attributes; providing the second network of members, each member of the second network having a relationship with one or more other members of the second network, the second network represented as a second graph with nodes and links, each member of the second network represented as a node and the relationships represented as links between nodes, each member of the second network having attributes; identifying by the computing device relationship paths between the first member of the first network and the second member of the second network by traversing the first graph and the second graph to identify paths that include a common member that is common to both the first network and the second network, the common member serving as a bridge between the first network and the second network; generating an intermediary score for each identified relationship path, the intermediary score being derived from relationship scores for each link along an identified relationship path and a length of the relationship path, the relationship scores for a link being based on the attributes of the members connected by the link, the intermediary score indicating whether the identified relationship path includes an intermediary who can effect a successful introduction between the first member and the second member; and identifying as potential intermediaries the common members that serve as the bridge for the relationship paths whose generated intermediary scores indicate they can effect a successful introduction between the first member and the second member.