A First Course In Network Theory

The study of network theory is a highly interdisciplinary field, which has emerged as a major topic of interest in various disciplines ranging from physics and mathematics, to biology and sociology. This book promotes the diverse nature of the study of complex networks by balancing the needs of students from very different backgrounds. It references the most commonly used concepts in network theory, provides examples of their applications in solving practical problems, and clear indications on how to analyse their results. In the first part of the book, students and researchers will discover the quantitative and analytical tools necessary to work with complex networks, including the most basic concepts in network and graph theory, linear and matrix algebra, as well as the physical concepts most frequently used for studying networks. They will also find instruction on some key skills such as how to proof analytic results and how to manipulate empirical network data. The bulk of the text is focused on instructing readers on the most useful tools for modern practitioners of network theory. These include degree distributions, random networks, network fragments, centrality measures, clusters and communities, communicability, and local and global properties of networks. The combination of theory, example and method that are presented in this text, should ready the student to conduct their own analysis of networks with confidence and allow teachers to select appropriate examples and problems to teach this subject in the classroom.

The study of network theory is a highly interdisciplinary field, which has emerged as a major topic of interest in various disciplines ranging from physics and mathematics, to biology and sociology. This book promotes the diverse nature of the study of complex networks by balancing the needs of students from very different backgrounds. It references the most commonly used concepts in network theory, provides examples of their applications in solving practical problems, and clear indications on how to analyse their results. In the first part of the book, students and researchers will discover the quantitative and analytical tools necessary to work with complex networks, including the most basic concepts in network and graph theory, linear and matrix algebra, as well as the physical concepts most frequently used for studying networks. They will also find instruction on some key skills such as how to proof analytic results and how to manipulate empirical network data. The bulk of the text is focused on instructing readers on the most useful tools for modern practitioners of network theory. These include degree distributions, random networks, network fragments, centrality measures, clusters and communities, communicability, and local and global properties of networks. The combination of theory, example and method that are presented in this text, should ready the student to conduct their own analysis of networks with confidence and allow teachers to select appropriate examples and problems to teach this subject in the classroom.

A practical introduction to network science for students across business, cognitive science, neuroscience, sociology, biology, engineering and other disciplines.

This book provides an up-to-date introduction to information theory. In addition to the classical topics discussed, it provides the first comprehensive treatment of the theory of I-Measure, network coding theory, Shannon and non-Shannon type information inequalities, and a relation between entropy and group theory. ITIP, a software package for proving information inequalities, is also included. With a large number of examples, illustrations, and original problems, this book is excellent as a textbook or reference book for a senior or graduate level course on the subject, as well as a reference for researchers in related fields.

A comprehensive look at the emerging science of networks Network science helps you design faster, more resilient communication networks; revise infrastructure systems such as electrical power grids, telecommunications networks, and airline routes; model market dynamics; understand synchronization in biological systems; and analyze social interactions among people. This is the first book to take a comprehensive look at this emerging science. It examines the various kinds of networks (regular, random, small-world, influence, scale-free, and social) and applies network processes and behaviors to emergence, epidemics, synchrony, and risk. The book's uniqueness lies in its integration of concepts across computer science, biology, physics, social network analysis, economics, and marketing. The book is divided into easy-to-understand topical chapters and the presentation is augmented with clear illustrations, problems and answers, examples, applications, tutorials, and a discussion of related Java software. Chapters cover: Origins Graphs Regular Networks Random Networks Small-World Networks Scale-Free Networks Emergence Epidemics Synchrony Influence Networks Vulnerability Net Gain Biology This book offers a new understanding and interpretation of the field of network science. It is an indispensable resource for researchers, professionals, and technicians in engineering, computing, and biology. It also serves as a valuable textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in related fields of study.

Written by two of the most prominent figures in the field of graph theory, this comprehensive text provides a remarkably student-friendly approach. Geared toward undergraduates taking a first course in graph theory, its sound yet accessible treatment emphasizes the history of graph theory and offers unique examples and lucid proofs. 2004 edition.

This book aims to explain the basics of graph theory that are needed at an introductory level for students in computer or information sciences. To motivate students and to show that even these basic notions can be extremely useful, the book also aims to provide an introduction to the modern field of network science. Mathematics is often unnecessarily difficult for students, at times even intimidating. For this reason, explicit attention is paid in the first chapters to mathematical notations and proof techniques, emphasizing that the notations form the biggest obstacle, not the mathematical concepts themselves. This approach allows to gradually prepare students for using tools that are necessary to put graph theory to work: complex networks. In the second part of the book the student learns about random networks, small worlds, the structure of the Internet and the Web, peer-to-peer systems, and social networks. Again, everything is discussed at an elementary level, but such that in the end students indeed have the feeling that they: 1.Have learned how to read and understand the basic mathematics related to graph theory. 2.Understand how basic graph theory can be applied to optimization problems such as routing in communication networks. 3.Know a bit more about this sometimes mystical field of small worlds and random networks. There is an accompanying web site www.distributed-systems.net/gtcn from where supplementary material can be obtained, including exercises, Mathematica notebooks, data for analyzing graphs, and generators for various complex networks.

Illustrated throughout in full colour, this pioneering text is the only book you need for an introduction to network science.