Title
Thermodynamics of Time Evolving Networks.
Abstract
In this paper, we present a novel and effective method for better understanding the evolution of time-varying complex networks by adopting a thermodynamic representation of network structure. We commence from the spectrum of the normalized Laplacian of a network. We show that by defining the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues as the microstate occupation probabilities of a complex system, the recently developed von Neumann entropy can be interpreted as the thermodynamic entropy of the network. Then, we give an expression for the internal energy of a network and derive a formula for the network temperature as the ratio of change of entropy and change in energy. We show how these thermodynamic variables can be computed in terms of node degree statistics for nodes connected by edges. We apply the thermodynamic characterization to real-world time-varying networks representing complex systems in the financial and biological domains. The study demonstrates that the method provides an efficient tool for detecting abrupt changes and characterizing different stages in evolving network evolution.
Year
Venue
Field
2015
GbRPR
Statistical physics,Complex system,Discrete mathematics,Computer science,Internal energy,Evolving networks,Ministate,Complex network,Von Neumann entropy,Calculus,Laplace operator
DocType
Citations 
PageRank 
Conference
1
0.36
References 
Authors
0
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
cheng ye1175.86
Andrea Torsello295764.08
Richard C. Wilson31754137.60
Edwin R. Hancock4108.70