Elements of Network Science and Its Applications

Catalog description

Introduction to elements of network theory used to describe and model complex networks; applictions in social, biological, and technological networks. PHYS 580 Elements of Network Science and Its Applications (3) Network Science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. This class will focus on four main questions asked by network science: (i) How do we use data analysis methods to determine or infer the interaction graphs underlying complex systems? (ii) How can we characterize the organizational features of large-scale networks? (iii) What are the mechanisms that determine the common topological features of a wide variety of networks? (iv) To what extent does the organization of the interaction network underlying a complex system determine the dynamical behavior (e.g. steady state or oscillations) of the system? Applications in social, biological and technological networks will be examined. As Network Science is an interdisciplinary field of research, the course is open and should be of interest to a wide range of graduate students in degree programs in physics, social sciences, life sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computer science.