Towards real-world complexity: an introduction to multiplex networks

TL;DR

This paper reviews the emerging field of multiplex networks, highlighting their importance in modeling complex systems with multiple interacting layers, and discusses recent advances, challenges, and future directions.

Contribution

It provides an organized overview of current research on multiplex networks, categorizing studies by layer coupling types and summarizing recent progress and open challenges.

Findings

Multiplex networks significantly influence system structure and function.

Recent advances include new modeling techniques and analytical tools.

Open challenges involve understanding multilayer interactions and dynamics.

Abstract

Many real-world complex systems are best modeled by multiplex networks of interacting network layers. The multiplex network study is one of the newest and hottest themes in the statistical physics of complex networks. Pioneering studies have proven that the multiplexity has broad impact on the system's structure and function. In this Colloquium paper, we present an organized review of the growing body of current literature on multiplex networks by categorizing existing studies broadly according to the type of layer coupling in the problem. Major recent advances in the field are surveyed and some outstanding open challenges and future perspectives will be proposed.