Network science

Network Science is a new emerging scientific discipline that combines interacting physical, informational, biological, cognitive, and social networks. This field of science seeks to discover common priciples, algorithms and tools that govern network behavior. The National Research Council defines Network Science as "the organized knowledge of networks based on their study using the scientific method."

Several U.S. governmental agencies such as the Department of Defense and the National Science foundation have recently begun to fun research in this new field. The U.S. Military Academy has formed a Network Science Center to facilitate education and research within the Army. The Army is also in the process of establishing a research center for Network Science at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. In addition, several universities are conducting active research in network science, such as Carnegie Mellon University, Northeastern University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Sub disciplines of network science include dynamic network analysis, social network analysis, the study of complex networks, network optimization and graph theory.

In September 2006, scientists from several universities initiated the International Council On Network Science (ICONS). This society aims to promote and facilitate the study and education of network science.

Further Reading

http://www.netscience.usma.edu

http://www.cra.org/ccc/NSE.ppt.pdf

http://www.ifr.ac.uk/netsci08/

References

"Linked: The New Science of Networks," A.-L. Barabási (Perseus Publishing, Cambridge (2002).

"Network Science," The National Academies Press (2005)ISBN-10: 0-309-10026-7