Definition and Purpose of PageRank
– PageRank is a link analysis algorithm that assigns numerical weights to elements in a set of hyperlinked documents.
– It measures the relative importance of each element within the set.
– The algorithm can be used for any collection of entities with reciprocal quotations and references.
– The assigned numerical weight is known as the PageRank of an element.
– PageRank is denoted as PR(E).
Application of PageRank
– PageRank can be applied to any set of entities with reciprocal quotations and references.
– It is commonly used in analyzing the World Wide Web and webpages.
– The algorithm is based on the webgraph, where webpages are nodes and hyperlinks are edges.
– PageRank calculates the importance of webpages based on their connectivity and link structure.
– It provides a measure of the significance of a webpage within the webgraph.
Calculation of PageRank
– PageRank is determined through a mathematical algorithm.
– The algorithm considers the entire webgraph and assigns weights to webpages.
– The weights are calculated based on the connectivity and importance of each webpage.
– The algorithm iteratively calculates the PageRank until convergence is reached.
– The resulting PageRank values represent the relative importance of webpages.
Factors Affecting PageRank
– The number and quality of incoming links to a webpage influence its PageRank.
– Webpages with higher PageRank passing links have a greater impact on the PageRank of other webpages.
– The damping factor, which represents the probability of following a link, affects PageRank calculations.
– Webpages with higher PageRank contribute more to the PageRank of linked webpages.
– The structure of the webgraph and the distribution of links also impact PageRank.
Importance and Limitations of PageRank
– PageRank provides a quantitative measure of webpage importance within the webgraph.
– It helps identify authoritative and influential webpages.
– PageRank has been a key component of Google’s search algorithm.
– However, PageRank is only one of many factors considered in search engine rankings.
– It does not consider the relevance or quality of webpage content.
PageRank (PR) is an algorithm used by Google Search to rank web pages in their search engine results. It is named after both the term "web page" and co-founder Larry Page. PageRank is a way of measuring the importance of website pages. According to Google:

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.
Currently, PageRank is not the only algorithm used by Google to order search results, but it is the first algorithm that was used by the company, and it is the best known. As of September 24, 2019, all patents associated with PageRank have expired.