Analyzing and Modeling Real-World Phenomena with Complex Networks: A Survey of Applications

TL;DR

This survey reviews how complex networks are applied to a wide range of real-world problems, highlighting their theoretical foundations and diverse applications across 22 different areas.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the application of complex networks to real-world phenomena, emphasizing their modeling, analysis, and representation.

Findings

Complex networks are applied across at least 22 different real-world domains.

The field has a strong theoretical basis complemented by diverse practical applications.

The survey highlights the impact and versatility of complex network approaches.

Abstract

The success of new scientific areas can be assessed by their potential for contributing to new theoretical approaches and in applications to real-world problems. Complex networks have fared extremely well in both of these aspects, with their sound theoretical basis developed over the years and with a variety of applications. In this survey, we analyze the applications of complex networks to real-world problems and data, with emphasis in representation, analysis and modeling, after an introduction to the main concepts and models. A diversity of phenomena are surveyed, which may be classified into no less than 22 areas, providing a clear indication of the impact of the field of complex networks.