Random graphs

Random graphs are like a game of pick-up-sticks. You throw a bunch of little sticks onto a table, and then see how they land. The sticks might look a little bit tangled up, but if you look closely, you might be able to find patterns in the way the sticks connect. They might form circles or lines, or have clusters of sticks connected by just one or two. Random graphs are the same; they are networks of connections between points (called nodes) that look kind of random, but there are often patterns hidden inside.