The "Small world effect" states that the average degree of separation in an aquaintanceship graph of the whole world is 6. In other words, a path of aquaintance relation from you to any other person on earth exists with, on the average, a path length of 6 (5 intermediate persons). Experiments in delivering hard-copy letters and e-mail messages have empirically confirmed this theory.

a. What are the potential implications for e-mail traffic if the small world effect holds for computer networks?

b. What are the potential implications for epidemiology if the small world effect holds for physical contact between humans?

I'm not sure exactly what it's asking for. I'm thinking for a the e-mails could potentially take a long time to reach you or that there could be a "traffic jam", and b that a lot more people would be sick, but that people could identify whats wrong easier? Any help is appreciated this is discrete math.