The Role of Network Analysis in Industrial and Applied Mathematics

TL;DR

This paper discusses the significance of network analysis in industrial and applied mathematics, highlighting its applications, recent importance due to data growth, and collaborative industry projects.

Contribution

It emphasizes a physical-applied-mathematics approach to network analysis and shares examples from industry collaborations.

Findings

Network analysis is crucial in various scientific and industrial fields.

A physical-applied-mathematics perspective enhances understanding of networks.

Collaborations demonstrate practical applications of network science.

Abstract

Many problems in industry --- and in the social, natural, information, and medical sciences --- involve discrete data and benefit from approaches from subjects such as network science, information theory, optimization, probability, and statistics. The study of networks is concerned explicitly with connectivity between different entities, and it has become very prominent in industrial settings, an importance that has intensified amidst the modern data deluge. In this commentary, we discuss the role of network analysis in industrial and applied mathematics, and we give several examples of network science in industry. We focus, in particular, on discussing a physical-applied-mathematics approach to the study of networks. We also discuss several of our own collaborations with industry on projects in network analysis.