Google’s PageRank and Beyond: The Science of Search Engine Rankings

Amy N. Langville and Carl D. Meyer

“Why, even when you type in your own name, doesn’t your home page come up on the first page of search results? How do other websites’ pages consistently show up first? Why are these rankings so influential? How then? Google’s PageRank and Beyond, the first book was ever written about the science of web page rankings, provides the answers to these and other problems.

The book caters to two very distinct audiences: technical computational readers and enquiring scientific readers. The chapters gradually increase the level of mathematical complexity, making the first five chapters understandable to academic readers in general. Even if certain chapters are substantially more mathematical in character, all of them have plenty to offer both types of readers. The writers, for instance, add amusing tangents about how search engines profit and how the Great Firewall of China affects research.

The book provides various MATLAB routines, connections to sample web data sets, and a sizable background part intended to educate readers about the mathematics of search engines. The entire article is written with the intention of encouraging readers to try out the concepts and algorithms.

The clear examples, sample code, and list of resources offered can help any company that is sincerely interested in raising its rankings in the main search engines.”