PageRank Algorithm Demonstration

Instructions:

  • Click "Add Node" to create a new page
  • Hover over a node and click the × button to delete it
  • Hold Shift and drag from one node to another to create a link
  • Click on a link to delete it
  • Click and drag a node to reposition it
  • Click "Calculate PageRank" to see the values
  • The PageRank is shown in the top right of each node

PageRank Analytics

Rank Page PageRank Value Incoming Links Outgoing Links

About the PageRank Algorithm

PageRank is the algorithm originally used by Google Search to rank web pages in their search results. It was named after Larry Page, one of Google's founders.

How It Works:

PageRank works by counting the number and quality of links to a page to determine a rough estimate of how important the website is. The underlying assumption is that more important websites are likely to receive more links from other websites.

The Algorithm:

  1. Initial Value: Each page is initially assigned an equal probability (1/N where N is the total number of pages)
  2. Iterations: Through multiple iterations, the algorithm redistributes the rank values based on the link structure
  3. Damping Factor (d): Typically 0.85, represents the probability a user will continue clicking links rather than starting a new random page visit
  4. Formula: PR(A) = (1-d)/N + d(PR(T₁)/C(T₁) + ... + PR(Tₙ)/C(Tₙ)), where T₁...Tₙ are pages linking to A, and C(T) is the number of outbound links from page T

In This Interactive Tool:

  • Each node represents a web page
  • Links represent hyperlinks between pages
  • The PageRank value shows the importance of each page
  • Link importance shows how much each link contributes to the target's PageRank
  • The color intensity of the nodes represents their relative PageRank values

PageRank is just one of many factors used in modern search engines, but it remains a fundamental concept in understanding web page authority and link analysis.