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Structural efficiency of percolated landscapes in flow networks
M Angeles Serrano1, Paolo De Los Rios
1IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos, Campus Universitat Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. marian.serrano@ifisc.uib-csic.es
Plos One
|November 6, 2008
Summary
Complex systems
Area of Science:
- Network science
- Systems biology
- Complex systems analysis
Background:
- Large-scale structure of complex systems is linked to functionality and evolution.
- Global transport in flow networks depends on directed pathways and macroscopic components.
- The exact relationship between network structure and function/evolution is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate constraints global network structure imposes on transport phenomena.
- Quantitatively define structural efficiency under minimal assumptions.
- Assess robustness of communication between core and peripheral network components.
Main Methods:
- Defined a quantitative measure of structural efficiency for directed networks.
- Analyzed network topology to understand transport phenomena.
- Examined three real-world networks: Internet, C. elegans nervous system, E. coli metabolism.
Main Results:
- Different global connectivity structures yield varying levels of structural efficiency.
- Optimal network topologies for core access resemble "hairy balls" to minimize bottlenecks.
- Biological networks (C. elegans, E. coli) exhibit near-optimal structural layouts.
Conclusions:
- Global network structure significantly impacts transport efficiency and robustness.
- "Hairy ball" topology is proposed as optimal for minimizing network vulnerabilities.
- Biological systems demonstrate efficient structural organization for their functions.
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