Network Dynamics
(An English-language class)
This course is over.
Lectures and Tutorials (4 SWS/6 ECTS)
This course is devoted to a mathematical and computational study of mechanisms governing the dynamics of network change. A specific emphasis lies on communication networks and social interaction. Topics include strategic network formation and game theory, opinion dynamics, and social contagion. The course is a compulsory advanced course in the study profile Network Science.
Affinity for mathematics is required for this class.
Times
| Lectures: | Tuesday 17:00-18:30, D 404 (Sven Kosub) |
| Tutorials: | Wednesday 17:00-18:30, D 247 (David Schoch) |
| Oral exam: | February 2016, TBA (1st date) |
| April 2016, TBA (2nd date) |
Homework Assignments
Assignments are made available on this webpage as a PDF-file (in English) every Wednesday. The editing time for each homework is about one week. It is due on the next Wednesday at 17:00 (right before the start of the tutorial). The assignments have to be delivered in written form in English. The corrected and scored assignments will be returned in the next tutorial.
- Assignment 1 - Post date: 10/21/15 - Due date: 10/28/15 (PDF, 123 KB)
- Assignment 2 - Post date: 10/28/15 - Due date: 11/04/15 (PDF, 116 KB)
- Assignment 3 - Post date: 11/04/15 - Due date: 11/11/15 (PDF, 130 KB)
- Assignment 4 - Post date: 11/11/15 - Due date: 11/18/15 (PDF, 134 KB)
- Assignment 5 - Post date: 11/18/15 - Due date: 12/01/15 (PDF, 132 KB)
- Assignment 6 - Post date: 12/02/15 - Due date: 12/09/15 (PDF, 154 KB)
- Assignment 7 - Post date: 12/09/15 - Due date: 12/16/15 (PDF, 126 KB)
- Assignment 8 - Post date: 12/16/15 - Due date: 01/13/16 (PDF, 131 KB)
- Assignment 9 - Post date: 01/13/16 - Due date: 01/20/16 (PDF, 131 KB)
- Assignment 10 - Post date: 01/20/16 - Due date: 01/27/16 (PDF, 164 KB)
Content
The course contains the following topics (at least they are planned):
- A social interaction example
- Networks as dynamical systems
- Network formation
- Opinion formation
Lecture Notes
Lecture notes are made available close in time to the lectures. The current version can be downloaded here. In case you have suggestions or comments (typos or any kind of errors) please send an email.
Literature
The course is mainly based on research papers which are not yet covered in a textbook appropriate for computer scientists. In-depth and background material of certain course aspects can be found in:
- Peter R. Monge, Noshir S. Contractor: Theories of Communication Networks. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003.
- Noah E. Friedkin: A Structural Theory of Social Influence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998.
- S. Wasserman, K, Faust: Social Network Analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994.
- Henning S. Mortveit, Christian M. Reidys: An Introduction to Sequential Dynamical Systems. Springer, New York, NY, 2008.
- Stuart A. Kauffman. The Origins of Order. Self-Orzganization and Selection in Evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993.