--- description: Number-crunchers performed statistical analysis of the sprawling fantasy title: Math Finds the Most Important 'Game of Thrones' Character image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87c757b270dbf246/69888d4ce20a877647a90374/ap_182340316464.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Mathematicians Calculate the Most Important _Game of Thrones_ Character by [Oliver Gettell / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Oliver Gettell / Entertainment Weekly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 1, 2016 5:25 AM CUT  This photo provided by HBO shows Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on trial in a scene from season 4 of 'Game of Thrones' This photo provided by HBO shows Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on trial in a scene from season 4 of 'Game of Thrones'Helen Sloan—AP by [Oliver Gettell / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Oliver Gettell / Entertainment Weekly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 1, 2016 5:25 AM CUT Ever since a certain character [lost his head](http://www.ew.com/article/2011/06/12/game-of-thrones-death "undefined") in King’s Landing, it’s been difficult to pin down just who the real protagonist of _Game of Thrones_ is. Now some number-crunchers at Macalester College have performed statistical analysis of George R.R. Martin’s sprawling fantasy to do just that. For their research paper “Network of Thrones,” math professor Andrew J. Beveridge and undergraduate Jie Shan mapped out the complex relationships between characters in _A Storm of Swords_, which is the third book in Martin’s series and the inspiration for the third and fourth seasons of the HBO adaptation. Using principles of network science, they examined such factors as how many people each character is connected to, how often they interact with others, and how important the people they’re connected to are. “In our network, three characters stand out consistently: Tyrion, Jon, and Sansa,” the paper reads. And the winner? “Acting as the Hand of the King, Tyrion is thrust into the center of the political machinations of the capitol city,” Beveridge and Shan write. “Our analysis suggests that he is the true protagonist of the book.” Of course, the _Game of Thrones_ saga is [far from over](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/21/game-thrones-season-6-best "undefined"), so time will tell how their findings hold up. For more insights, read the full “Network of Thrones” research paper [in _Math Horizons_](http://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Mathhorizons/NetworkofThrones%20%281%29.pdf "undefined"). 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