Zengru Di

Exact controllability of complex networks

Controlling complex networks is of paramount importance in science and engineering. Despite the recent development of structural controllability theory, we continue to lack a framework to control undirected complex networks, especially given link weights. Here we introduce an exact controllability paradigm based on the maximum multiplicity to identify the minimum set of driver nodes required to achieve full control of networks with arbitrary structures and link-weight distributions. The framework reproduces the structural controllability of directed networks characterized by structural matrices. We explore the controllability of a large number of real and model networks, finding that dense networks with identical weights are difficult to be controlled. An efficient and accurate tool is offered to assess the controllability of large sparse and dense networks. The exact controllability framework enables a comprehensive understanding of the impact of network properties on controllability, a fundamental problem towards our ultimate control of complex systems.

Clustering coefficient and community structure of bipartite networks

Many real-world networks display natural bipartite structure, where the basic cycle is a square. In this paper, with the similar consideration of standard clustering coefficient in binary networks, a definition of the clustering coefficient for bipartite networks based on the fraction of squares is proposed. In order to detect community structures in bipartite networks, two different edge clustering coefficients LC4 and LC3 of bipartite networks are defined, which are based on squares and triples respectively. With the algorithm of cutting the edge with the least clustering coefficient, communities in artificial and real world networks are identified. The results reveal that investigating bipartite networks based on the original structure can show the detailed properties that is helpful to get deep understanding about the networks.

Community detection by signaling on complex networks

Based on a signaling process of complex networks, a method for identification of community structure is proposed. For a network with n nodes, every node is assumed to be a system which can send, receive, and record signals. Each node is taken as the initial signal source to excite the whole network one time. Then the source node is associated with an n -dimensional vector which records the effects of the signaling process. By this process, the topological relationship of nodes on the network could be transferred into a geometrical structure of vectors in n -dimensional Euclidean space. Then the best partition of groups is determined by F statistics and the final community structure is given by the K -means clustering method. This method can detect community structure both in unweighted and weighted networks. It has been applied to ad hoc networks and some real networks such as the Zachary karate club network and football team network. The results indicate that the algorithm based on the signaling process works well.

Comparative definition of community and corresponding identifying algorithm.

A comparative definition for community in networks is proposed, and the corresponding detecting algorithm is given. A community is defined as a set of nodes, which satisfies the requirement that each nodes degree inside the community should not be smaller than the nodes degree toward any other community. In the algorithm, the attractive force of a community to a node is defined as the connections between them. Then employing an attractive-force-based self-organizing process, without any extra parameter, the best communities can be detected. Several artificial and real-world networks, including the Zachary karate club, college football, and large scientific collaboration networks, are analyzed. The algorithm works well in detecting communities, and it also gives a nice description of network division and group formation.

Reconstructing propagation networks with natural diversity and identifying hidden sources

Our ability to uncover complex network structure and dynamics from data is fundamental to understanding and controlling collective dynamics in complex systems. Despite recent progress in this area, reconstructing networks with stochastic dynamical processes from limited time series remains to be an outstanding problem. Here we develop a framework based on compressed sensing to reconstruct complex networks on which stochastic spreading dynamics take place. We apply the methodology to a large number of model and real networks, finding that a full reconstruction of inhomogeneous interactions can be achieved from small amounts of polarized (binary) data, a virtue of compressed sensing. Further, we demonstrate that a hidden source that triggers the spreading process but is externally inaccessible can be ascertained and located with high confidence in the absence of direct routes of propagation from it. Our approach thus establishes a paradigm for tracing and controlling epidemic invasion and information diffusion in complex networked systems. Supplementary information The online version of this article (doi:10.1038/ncomms5323) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Universal predictability of mobility patterns in cities.

Despite the long history of modelling human mobility, we continue to lack a highly accurate approach with low data requirements for predicting mobility patterns in cities. Here, we present a population-weighted opportunities model without any adjustable parameters to capture the underlying driving force accounting for human mobility patterns at the city scale. We use various mobility data collected from a number of cities with different characteristics to demonstrate the predictive power of our model. We find that insofar as the spatial distribution of population is available, our model offers universal prediction of mobility patterns in good agreement with real observations, including distance distribution, destination travel constraints and flux. By contrast, the models that succeed in modelling mobility patterns in countries are not applicable in cities, which suggests that there is a diversity of human mobility at different spatial scales. Our model has potential applications in many fields relevant to mobility behaviour in cities, without relying on previous mobility measurements.

Robust reconstruction of complex networks from sparse data.

Reconstructing complex networks from measurable data is a fundamental problem for understanding and controlling collective dynamics of complex networked systems. However, a significant challenge arises when we attempt to decode structural information hidden in limited amounts of data accompanied by noise and in the presence of inaccessible nodes. Here, we develop a general framework for robust reconstruction of complex networks from sparse and noisy data. Specifically, we decompose the task of reconstructing the whole network into recovering local structures centered at each node. Thus, the natural sparsity of complex networks ensures a conversion from the local structure reconstruction into a sparse signal reconstruction problem that can be addressed by using the lasso, a convex optimization method. We apply our method to evolutionary games, transportation, and communication processes taking place in a variety of model and real complex networks, finding that universal high reconstruction accuracy can be achieved from sparse data in spite of noise in time series and missing data of partial nodes. Our approach opens new routes to the network reconstruction problem and has potential applications in a wide range of fields.

NETWORK OF ECONOPHYSICISTS: A WEIGHTED NETWORK TO INVESTIGATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOPHYSICS

The development of Econophysics is studied from the perspective of scientific communication networks. Papers in Econophysics published from 1992 to 2003 are collected. Then a weighted and directed network of scientific communication, including collaboration, citation and personal discussion, is constructed. Its static geometrical properties, including degree distribution, weight distribution, weight per degree, and betweenness centrality, give a nice overall description of the research works. The way we introduced here to measure the weight of connections can be used as a general one to construct weighted network.

Accuracy and precision of methods for community identification in weighted networks

Different algorithms, which take both links and link weights into account for the community structure of weighted networks, have been reported recently. Based on the measure of similarity among community structures introduced in our previous work, in this paper, accuracy and precision of three algorithms are investigated. Results show that Potts model based algorithm and weighted extremal optimization (WEO) algorithm work well on both dense or sparse weighted networks, while weighted Girvan–Newman (WGN) algorithm works well only for relatively sparse networks.

Exact controllability of multiplex networks

We develop a general framework to analyze the controllability of multiplex networks using multiple-relation networks and multiple-layer networks with interlayer couplings as two classes of prototypical systems. In the former, networks associated with different physical variables share the same set of nodes and in the latter, diffusion processes take place. We find that, for a multiplerelation network, a layer exists that dominantly determines the controllability of the whole network and, for a multiple-layer network, a small fraction of the interconnections can enhance the controllability remarkably. Our theory is generally applicable to other types of multiplex networks as well, leading to significant insights into the control of complex network systems with diverse structures and interacting patterns.