Temporal networks as a modeling framework

TL;DR

This paper introduces the modeling of temporal networks to analyze large-scale, dynamic systems where contacts between entities change over time, providing foundational concepts for understanding complex time-evolving networks.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive framework for modeling temporal networks, bridging static network analysis and dynamic system behavior, as a basis for further specialized research.

Findings

Framework for temporal network modeling

Foundations for dynamic system analysis

Integration of mathematical and computational methods

Abstract

To understand large, connected systems, we cannot only zoom into the details. We also need to see the large-scale features from afar. One way to take a step back and get the whole picture is to model the systems as a network. However, many systems are not static, but consisting of contacts that are off and on as time progresses. This Chapter introduces the mathematical and computational modeling of such systems and thus an introduction to the rest of the book. We will cover some of the earlier developments that form the foundation for the more specialized topics of the other Chapters.