English

Modern temporal network theory: A colloquium

Physics and Society 2015-09-21 v3 Social and Information Networks

Abstract

The power of any kind of network approach lies in the ability to simplify a complex system so that one can better understand its function as a whole. Sometimes it is beneficial, however, to include more information than in a simple graph of only nodes and links. Adding information about times of interactions can make predictions and mechanistic understanding more accurate. The drawback, however, is that there are not so many methods available, partly because temporal networks is a relatively young field, partly because it more difficult to develop such methods compared to for static networks. In this colloquium, we review the methods to analyze and model temporal networks and processes taking place on them, focusing mainly on the last three years. This includes the spreading of infectious disease, opinions, rumors, in social networks; information packets in computer networks; various types of signaling in biology, and more. We also discuss future directions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1508.01303,
  title  = {Modern temporal network theory: A colloquium},
  author = {Petter Holme},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1508.01303},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

Final accepted version

R2 v1 2026-06-22T10:27:37.102Z