Predictive limitations of spatial interaction models: a non-Gaussian analysis.

We present a method to compare spatial interaction models against data based on well known statistical measures that are appropriate for such models and data. We illustrate our approach using a widely used example: commuting data, specifically from the US Census 2000. We find that the radiation model performs significantly worse than an appropriately chosen simple gravity model. Various conclusions are made regarding the development and use of spatial interaction models, including: that spatial interaction models fit badly to data in an absolute sense, that therefore the risk of over-fitting is small and adding additional fitted parameters improves the predictive power of models, and that appropriate choices of input data can improve model fit.

Flow graphs: interweaving dynamics and structure.

The behavior of complex systems is determined not only by the topological organization of their interconnections but also by the dynamical processes taking place among their constituents. A faithful modeling of the dynamics is essential because different dynamical processes may be affected very differently by network topology. A full characterization of such systems thus requires a formalization that encompasses both aspects simultaneously, rather than relying only on the topological adjacency matrix. To achieve this, we introduce the concept of flow graphs, namely weighted networks where dynamical flows are embedded into the link weights. Flow graphs provide an integrated representation of the structure and dynamics of the system, which can then be analyzed with standard tools from network theory. Conversely, a structural network feature of our choice can also be used as the basis for the construction of a flow graph that will then encompass a dynamics biased by such a feature. We illustrate the ideas by focusing on the mathematical properties of generic linear processes on complex networks that can be represented as biased random walks and their dual consensus dynamics, and show how our framework improves our understanding of these processes.

Line graphs, link partitions, and overlapping communities.

In this paper, we use a partition of the links of a network in order to uncover its community structure. This approach allows for communities to overlap at nodes so that nodes may be in more than one community. We do this by making a node partition of the line graph of the original network. In this way we show that any algorithm that produces a partition of nodes can be used to produce a partition of links. We discuss the role of the degree heterogeneity and propose a weighted version of the line graph in order to account for this.

Exact solution for the time evolution of network rewiring models.

We consider the rewiring of a bipartite graph using a mixture of random and preferential attachment. The full mean-field equations for the degree distribution and its generating function are given. The exact solution of these equations for all finite parameter values at any time is found in terms of standard functions. It is demonstrated that these solutions are an excellent fit to numerical simulations of the model. We discuss the relationship between our model and several others in the literature, including examples of urn, backgammon, and balls-in-boxes models, the Watts and Strogatz rewiring problem, and some models of zero range processes. Our model is also equivalent to those used in various applications including cultural transmission, family name and gene frequencies, glasses, and wealth distributions. Finally some Voter models and an example of a minority game also show features described by our model.

Scale-free networks from self-organization.

We show how scale-free degree distributions can emerge naturally from growing networks by using random walks for selecting vertices for attachment. This result holds for several variants of the walk algorithm and for a wide range of parameters. The growth mechanism is based on using local graph information only, so this is a process of self-organization. The standard mean-field equations are an excellent approximation for network growth using these rules. We discuss the effects of finite size on the degree distribution, and compare analytical results to simulated networks. Finally, we generalize the random walk algorithm to produce weighted networks with power-law distributions of both weight and degree.

Temperature distribution in tissues subjected to local hyperthermia by RF induction heating.

We have used a finite difference formulation of the bio-heat transfer equation to predict temperature distributions in and around a non-uniformly perfused volume located in layered tissue. Using available data on blood flow in experimental tumours we have shown that techniques capable of highly localized heating are required to treat small, well perfused tumours effectively. However, the r.f. technique considered here produces acceptable temperature distributions in larger tumours with poorly perfused centres. Skin cooling improves the effective penetration of the hyperthermal treatment and may improve the uniformity of heating. However, the considerable heat flux through superficial tissues associated with chilled water cooling can produce large temperature gradients in such regions.