An adjacency matrix represents a network as a table. Nodes appear as both rows and columns, and each cell indicates whether a connection exists between the corresponding pair of nodes.

Purpose

The purpose is to show network structure without edge crossings. Matrices are especially useful for dense networks where node-link diagrams become unreadable.

Design Notes

• Node ordering is crucial.
• Use color intensity for edge weight.
• Cluster related nodes to reveal block structure.
• Provide labels or interaction for large matrices.

Summary

Adjacency matrices are precise and scalable network representations. They are less intuitive than node-link diagrams at first, but much clearer for dense graphs.