Extracting Meaning From the Structure of Networks

Roland Piquepaille writes "Networks are used to represent the structure of complex systems, including the Internet or social networks, but often these descriptions are biased or incomplete. Now, researchers at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) have shown that it's possible to extract automatically the hierarchical structure of networks. The researchers say their results 'suggest that hierarchy is a central organizing principle of complex networks, capable of offering insight into many network phenomena.' They also think that their algorithms can be applied to almost every kind of networks, from biochemical networks (protein interaction networks, metabolic networks or genetic regulatory networks) to communities in social networks. But read more for additional references and some pictures about hierarchical networks and their applications."

Re:Can we get a Roland filter?

[mrbluze]

You know, like we used to have [a filter] for Jon Katz? So we don't have to even see anything he submits, since it's mostly old news or just recycled from a more credible source?

I was about to take offence at that statement, but then I realized I'm not Roland Pipe.. pip.. something.

But I had to laugh at the title. The meaning of the structure of networks is a stupid idea. The purpose maybe, the philosophy behind the structure maybe. But the meaning of? Go ask a Dadaist.

Re:Roland the Plogger again

[Winawer]

If by "new" you mean "I usually read the articles and don't comment often", then you're right. Are you trying to tell me that I did something wrong?

A more rational world

[TapeCutter]

"But we don't really live in a rational world, do we?"

Parinoia is an ally of irrationality.

Your argument boils down to "a tool can be used for good or evil", now since good and evil are subjective that reduces to "a tool can be used". Taken in the context of your post, this implies you are a Ludite but I don't think you are since a Ludite would not have the means to post on slashdot, ergo your post is irrational not the world.

"It's not hard to imagine how this might be misused [by the US administration]"

A bad tradesman will always blame his tools. The problem you speak of has nothing to do with the mathematical and scientific tools the US administration abuse on a regular basis.

As Carl Sagan put it, "Science is a candle in the dark". If you would like to live in a more rational world, please try and avoid inadvertently snuffing it out with parinoia regardless of wether the parionia is justified or not.