Systems and methods to determine trending topics for a user based on social graph data

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing system, at least one topic for potential presentation to a user based on an interaction of a connection of the user on a social networking system;

determining, by the computing system, a degree of separation between the user and the connection within the social networking system;

determining, by the computing system, a value of affinity between the user and the connection;

determining, by the computing system, a weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection;

calculating, by the computing system, a term based on the degree of separation, the value of affinity, and the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity; and

combining, by the computing system, terms associated with the at least one topic to generate a composite score associated with the at least one topic to determine whether to present the at least one topic to the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a value of authority of the connection, wherein the term is further based on the value of authority.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection is based on similarity of recently interacted topics and categories at different levels of granularity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

analyzing a posting of content associated with the interaction to determine the at least one topic.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the connection is within a threshold value of a number of degrees of separation from the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction is within a threshold value of a number of interactions of connections from which topics can be determined.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a time associated with the interaction is within a threshold value of a historical time period over which to determine topics.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sorting composite scores associated with topics; and

ranking the topics according to the composite scores to identify a cluster of the topics.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

comparing the cluster of the topics with other topics identified as trending.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing at least one of the cluster of the topics for presentation to the user.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform:

determining at least one topic for potential presentation to a user based on an interaction of a connection of the user on a social networking system;

determining a degree of separation between the user and the connection within the social networking system;

determining a value of affinity between the user and the connection;

determining a weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection;

calculating a term based on the degree of separation, the value of affinity, and the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity; and

combining terms associated with the at least one topic to generate a composite score associated with the at least one topic to determine whether to present the at least one topic to the user.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a value of authority of the connection, wherein the term is further based on the value of authority.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection is based on similarity of recently interacted topics and categories at different levels of granularity.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

analyzing a posting of content associated with the interaction to determine the at least one topic.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the connection is within a threshold value of a number of degrees of separation from the user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:

determining at least one topic for potential presentation to a user based on an interaction of a connection of the user on a social networking system;

determining a degree of separation between the user and the connection within the social networking system;

determining a value of affinity between the user and the connection;

determining a weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection;

calculating a term based on the degree of separation, the value of affinity, and the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity; and

combining terms associated with the at least one topic to generate a composite score associated with the at least one topic to determine whether to present the at least one topic to the user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining a value of authority of the connection, wherein the term is further based on the value of authority.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the weight reflecting a value of interest similarity between the user and the connection is based on similarity of recently interacted topics and categories at different levels of granularity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:

analyzing a posting of content associated with the interaction to determine the at least one topic.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the connection is within a threshold value of a number of degrees of separation from the user.