“Statistical mechanics taught us that intensive, systemsize-independent quantities offer some of the best measures of a system’s internal characteristics.” This quote from the article is interesting to pick at because it is basically saying that with the knowledge of what is already known, an independent quality of something can be used for a system’s own features. 

It was interesting to see how in the article “Taming Complexity”, the importance of a singular molecule or in this case a singular part of an entire network is magnified at a great scale. The article also speaks about how there are some networks that are more liberating to use than on a few others. There is also the discussion on large web based networks like Google and it’s immediate success with millions of people around the world by providing in seconds results for whatever the individuals searching needs. As well as providing networks that use social media for numerous services like dating apps, social media platforms, transportation/eating services and more. It was also interesting to see how for scientists that would want to thoroughly research “ fundamental properties of networks and complex systems” would need to “sell themselves as single-discipline-based players, convincing either the physics community that their research is physics or the biology establishment that network science is all about biology.” as well. 

It was also interesting to hear from Anna Nagurney how communication networks, transportation networks, manufacturing networks, energy networks and more, need to be dealt with to have the qualities of nodes and links to makeup the finished product.

           According to Anna Nagurney and her speech about “Networks – the Science-Spanning Disciplines”, networks can be seen everywhere in our daily lives from economics and business to science, technology and education. A network is considered to be a measurable pattern of connections between different articles in a certain space. A network has three basic components: nodes, links/archs, and flows/flow size. Moreover, a network could be either physical or nonphysical. Networks also provide the infostructure behind many commonalities such as communication, production and transportation. More specifically, when it comes to transportation networks, it can be correlated with energy networks and water networks. The functions of networks, proposed by Nagurney, lies within the following quote; “networks, network tools are not only used to study physical networks, but to study all sorts of problems in which there could be network structure” (Nagurney 2005, 14:21). She goes on to discuss how the latest network tools would allow for the modelling of problems more effectively and then ultimately, enable us to solve those problems more efficiently. Furthermore, the proper usage of such tools would allow for these problems to be presented in a way where everyone and anyone could understand them especially policy makers and management teams. Network methodology’s function can be used to break down the boundaries between different disciplines. For example, when it comes to communication networks within a community, region, or on a global scale, congestion management and energy networks must also be taken into consideration. Typically, when one thinks of communication, one might take technology networks into consideration but not energy networks. Networks, network theories, tools and structures can all be used to solve complex and even “everyday” problems in an abstract and effective way. With the many forms and functions of networks, they are seen and used on a much broader scale than previously thought.

Your first assignment – your response / analysis of the readings on Network Theory is due on the blog here by class time on September 2, 2020.