Graph databases are an excellent choice for storing and querying your connected data. They allow you to store information in a logical and complementary way that’s reflective of the domain you’re working in. However, when faced with the questions you’re looking to answer, it may not be immediately obvious that what you’re looking at is a graph question. In this session we will show you tips and tricks for identifying graph-shaped problems. This webinar is for everybody who wants or needs to learn how to spot certain structures in their data and understand if the data you are working with lends itself to working with a graph.

1. Identifying graph-shaped
problems
Lju Lazarevic
lju@neoj4.com @ellazal

2. What is a graph?

3. A graph is...
...a set of discrete objects, each of which has some set of relationships with
the other objects
Seven Bridges of Konigsberg problem. Leonhard Euler, 1735

4. Anything can be a graph
the Internet a water molecule
H
O
H

5. Why do we need graphs?

6. Reality
seldom
comes in
discrete
tables
Customer
Beverage
Mapping
Action
CI Name
BI Name AI Type
CI BI AIProblems are
best understood
with a
representation
of reality
Reality is often
about things
being
connected to
other things
drinks in store
A graph
provides a
better
approximation
of reality
Customer
Coffee
DRINKS
Reality does
not stop at
the border
of a data
silo
Customer
Product
Order
19 Jason
32 Ann
91 Dan
11 Filter
21 Latte
31 Flat W.
01 Buy
04 Preord.
09 Drink
91 21 01
91 21 09
32 11 04

7. Identifying a
graph-shaped problem

8. Dan on Unsplash

9. Graphs in coffee
• Can I tailor special offers based on
historical habits?
• Could my customers influence their
friends to visit?
• What happens if my supplier stops
selling a product?
• What happens if my supplier’s supplier’s
supplier has a poor harvest?
• What happens if my distribution centre
has problems?

10. Scenarios for identifying
graph-shaped problems

11. Scenario 1: Does our problem involve understanding relationships
between entities?
Identifying graph-shaped problems
● Recommendations
● Next best action
● Fraud detection
● Identity resolution
● Data lineage

12. Scenario 2: Does the problem involve a lot of self-referencing to the
same type of entity?
Identifying graph-shaped problems
● Organisational
hierarchies
● Social influencers
● Friends of friends
● Churn detection

13. Scenario 3: Does the problem explore relationships of varying or
unknown depth?
Identifying graph-shaped problems
● Supply chain
visibility
● Bill of Materials
● Network
management

14. Scenario 4: Does our problem involve discovering lots of different
routes or paths?
Identifying graph-shaped problems
● Logistics and routing
● Infrastructure management
● Dependency tracing

15. A summary of scenarios
Scenario 1:
Does our problem involve
understanding relationships
between entities?
Scenario 2:
Does the problem involve a
lot of self-referencing to
the same type of entity?
Scenario 3:
Does the problem explore
relationships of varying or
unknown depth?
Scenario 4:
Does our problem involve
discovering lots of different
routes or paths?

16. Where can I learn more
about graphs and
graph-shaped problems?

17. Free book:
neo4j.com/graph-databases-book
Free online training and certification:
neo4j.com/graphacademy/online-training
How to, best practices and customer
stories:
youtube.com/neo4j

18. Ljubica Lazarevic
Developer Relations
Advocate
@ElLazal
lju@neo4j.com
Join the conversation at community.neo4j.com