Workshop on Advances in Discrete Networks

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

A workshop entitled, "Advances in Discrete Networks," will be held at the University of Pittsburgh on December 12-14, 2014. A network is a very general concept, encompassing any structure that can be represented as a collection of discrete nodes, some of which are joined by links called edges. An extremely broad variety of systems can be represented as networks; these range from man-made constructs such as power grids, the internet, and rigid structures, to abstract entities such as social interaction and disease contact networks, to biological systems such as neuronal or genetic networks. Mathematical and computational tools being developed to analyze such networks offer great potential for impact, given that the same mathematical framework can be used to represent such a wide diversity of systems. The three-day workshop will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas relating to quantitative research about networks, pursued with a variety of perspectives and approaches. The event will bring together leading researchers in the field, with backgrounds in areas such as applied mathematics, mathematical biology, statistical physics, and computational methods, along with a diverse pool of graduate students, postdocs, and other scientists who are early in their careers. By doing so, it will highlight cutting edge advances in the analysis of network dynamics and structures, it will foster connections across mathematical areas and disciplines, and it will promote the involvement of junior researchers in the field.