Abstract: A social network targets advertisements to its members using inferential ad targeting. An inferential ad enables advertisers to reach members that do not meet targeting criteria for lack of information. A member's connections in the social network that satisfy the targeting criteria are leveraged to infer a targeted interest. An inferential ad is selected from a candidate set to be presented to the member. Varying complexities of targeting criteria, secondary inferential targeting criteria, and scopes of inference provide flexibility for inferential ad targeting in a social network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and edges, accessing user-concept scores for a first set of users nodes of the plurality for nodes, respectively, generating a recommendation-algorithm for estimating recommended user-concept scores for all user-concept pairs in the first set of user nodes and the plurality of concept nodes, and calculating recommended user-concept scores for a second set of user nodes of the plurality of nodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each node corresponding to a user of an online social network, identifying a plurality of clusters in the social graph using graph clustering, providing a treatment to a first set of users based on the clusters, and determining a treatment effect treatment for the users in the first set based on a network exposure to the treatment for each user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device of a social-networking system may receive from a computing device of a first user of the social-networking system information acquired by the computing device of the first user from a tag associated with a second user of the social-networking system. The tag may encode a time stamp, a signature, and a social action on the social-networking system. The computing device of the social-networking system may verify the signature and, if the signature is verified, then initiate the social action.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, identifying a nodes corresponding to a page currently accessed by a first user, generating one or more structured queries, where each structured query comprises a reference to the identified node and one or more edges that are connected to the identified node, and transmitting one or more of the structured queries to the first user for display on the page.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first notification through a real-time push service. The first notification includes a subset of user-facing information of an object having one or more states, the subset being determined at a first point in time. A second notification is received through the real-time push service. The second notification is an update to the user-facing information of the object, and the update may be a subset of user-facing information determined at a second point in time after the first point in time.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a measure of affinity for a particular action associated with a user of the social-networking system; and determining results for each predictor function based at least in part upon a number of actions previously preformed by the user with respect to the mobile-computing device. Each predictor function calculating a likelihood the user performs one or more actions; The method also includes computing a measure of affinity associated with the user based on the results for the predictor functions; and providing the computed measure of affinity.

Abstract: A social networking system that provides a system allowing users of the social networking system to define future plans, whereby users of the social networking system who view the plan are permitted to add themselves to the plan independent of whether they were explicitly specified as attendees of the plan. The social networking system is capable of auto-filling some missing plan details through inference. The social networking system is also capable of merging similar plans together.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program for social mapping is provided. Data about a plurality of social network members is received. A first member of the plurality of social network members is allowed to identify a second member of the plurality of social network members with whom the first member wishes to establish a relationship. The data is then sent to the second member about the first member based on the identification. Input from the second member is received in response to the data. The relationship between the first member and the second member is confirmed based on the input in order to map the first member to the second member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes retrieving a previous communication associated with a user on an online social network, the previous communication having been made on a date in the past; calculating a distribution-probability score for the previous communication reflecting a probability that the previous communication will be shared on the online social network by the user; and sending the previous communication to the user, wherein the distribution-probability score for the previous communication satisfies a threshold.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a search request is received from a first user, the request including the first user's location. A set of search results and their corresponding geographic locations are determined in response to the search request. For each search result, a weighted rating value is determined based on user ratings provided by one or more second users, an affiliation coefficient between the first user and each second user providing a user rating, and a proximity coefficient based on the distance between the first user's location and the geographic location of the search result. The search results are ranked by their respective weighted rating values and sent to the first user.

Abstract: A method includes: determining a first user interaction on a social network system; identifying a social network object in the social network system associated with the first user interaction by traversing a social graph of the social network system; identifying a user account based on the first user interaction; generating an implicit social graph connection between the user account and the social network object; and selecting a content entry for displaying to a user device signed-in under the user account or a friend account based on the implicit social graph connection, the friend account socially connected to the user account via the social graph of the social network system.

Abstract: A social networking system obtains information describing one or more interactions performed by users of the social networking system with various applications. The information identifies users, applications, and interactions by users with applications. Based on the obtained information, the social networking system determines likelihoods of a selected user performing another type of interaction with each application in a set of applications. The set of applications are ranked based on the determined likelihoods, and one or more of the applications from the set are selected based on the ranking. Information describing the selected one or more applications is then provided to the selected user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from an application installed on a client system for one or more interactive elements associated with a respective platform for sharing content to a website associated with the platform, wherein the request includes a user identifier and a content identifier; calculating a ranking score for each of a plurality of interactive elements based on profile information associated with the user identifier; and sending to the application a personalized set of the interactive elements, each of the interactive elements in the personalized set having a ranking score above a threshold value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, in response to a user's request to upload a photo to a social networking system, a client process accesses information in the user's current location and friends who may be with the user, present the information to the user in a composited posting user interface. After the user confirms a particular current location and a first and second friends who are currently with the user, the client process tags the particular current location and the first and second friends to the photo, and submit to the social networking system a primary posting request in photo upload, and a secondary posting request to check in the user, the first friend and the second friend to the particular current location.

Abstract: A social networking system selects a subset of keywords from a set of master keywords found in user profiles. The method includes selecting a first and second group of user profiles including one or more keywords and computing the number of occurrences of each of the master keywords in the first and second group of profiles. A value may be computed for each of the master keywords based on a comparison of the number of occurrences in the first group of profiles and the number of occurrences in the second group of profiles. The computed value may be used for selecting the subset of keywords from the master keywords and/or ranking the master keywords.

Abstract: A social networking system includes a mechanism for integrating user actions on objects outside of the social networking system in the social graph. External system operators include widgets that, when executed by user devices, record user interactions that correspond to a defined structure of actions and objects. Third party operators utilize a tool provided by the social networking system to define the structure of actions and objects. External actions are recorded by the social networking system for publishing to the social graph.

Abstract: A user's connections in a social networking system are grouped into a number of clusters based on a measure of the connections' relationships, or affinity, to each other. The affinities among the connections are based on the connections' own relationships and indicate a likelihood that the connections are in the same social circles. The clusters are formed based on the affinities among the user's connections, where the clusters tend to have connections that have relatively high affinities with the other connections the same cluster as compared to the connections who are not in the same cluster. An iterative hierarchical clustering algorithm may be used to collapse the connections into clusters based on affinities between pairs of the connections.

Abstract: A data transfer method performed at a proxy server includes intercepting a data request from a client computer that is directed to a target server, encrypting profile information, augmenting the data request by adding the encrypted profile information to the data request, and sending the augmented data request to the target server. A data transfer method that is performed at an information server includes receiving a data request from a proxy server, extracting profile information added to the data request by the proxy server, using the extracted profile information to generate a response, and sending the response to the proxy server.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting a subset of keywords from a set of master keywords found in user profiles in a social network is disclosed. The method includes selecting a first and second group of user profiles including one or more keywords and computing the number of occurrences of each of the master keywords in the first and second group of profiles. A value may be computed for each of the master keywords based on a comparison of the number of occurrences in the first group of profiles and the number of occurrences in the second group of profiles. The computed value may be used for selecting the subset of keywords from the master keywords and/or ranking the master keywords.