Dynamics for communications data

To create a complex dynamical model for a complex system, it is normally necessary to have a directed graph of the network, a dynamical model for each node, and a coupling function for each directed edge. But in many applications, the only observable data consists of communications from one node to another. In this situation, the modeler may infer a complex dynamical model for the network without any explicit knowledge of the independent dynamical behavior of the component systems (nodes). Here we present one procedure for this type of modeling problem, inspired by the attractor reconstruction procedure of chaos theory. Part of this proposal consists of a strategy for computer graphic presentation of the interactive dynamics of the complex system (or social network of dynamical schemes) called a netscope. We can imagine applications to diverse situations, such as decision groups, management, forecasting, international relations, classroom monitoring, therapy (personal, family, group, etc.) and distributed processors, to name a few.