Form and function of complex networks

Abstract: Networks are all around us, all the time. From the biochemistry of our cells to the web of friendships across the planet. From the circuitry of modern electronics to chains of historical events. A network is the result of the forces that shaped it. Thus the principles of network formation can be, to some extent, deciphered from the network itself. All such information comprises the structure of the network. The study of network structure is the core of modern network science. This thesis centres around three aspects of network structure: What kinds of network structures are there and how can they be measured? How can we build models for network formation that give the structure of networks in the real world? How does the network structure affect dynamical systems confined to the networks? These questions are discussed using a variety of statistical, analytical and modelling techniques developed by physicists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists. My own research touches all three questions. In this thesis I present works trying to answer: What is the best way to protect a network against sinister attacks? How do groups form in friendship networks? Where do traffic jams appear in a communication network? How is cellular metabolism organised? How do Swedes flirt on the Internet? . . . and many other questions.