👉 The mailman fluid, also known as the "Mailman's Fluid," is a conceptual model used in network theory to describe the flow of information or influence through a social network. It was introduced by mathematician and computer scientist John Holland in 1977 as a simplified representation of how ideas, behaviors, or information spread among individuals. In this model, each node in the network represents a person, and the edges symbolize relationships or interactions between them. The fluid metaphorizes the spread of influence as a continuous, smooth process, where information or ideas "flow" from one node to another, with the rate of flow depending on the strength and nature of the connections. The mailman fluid helps illustrate how certain individuals, acting as "mailmen," can significantly impact the spread of information due to their central positions or high connectivity within the network.
