The authors proposed a new set of tools, designed for complex networks, able to first identify the natural state and control parameters of the network, and then collapse the behavior of different networks into a single, solvable, universal function. In that paper, he and his colleagues declared that existing analytical tools are insufficient because they were designed for smaller models with few interacting components, as opposed to the vast networks we want to understand. Gao debuted a preliminary solution to the problem in a 2016 paper published in Nature. Even if the network is not very large, we may be able to use the computer to solve the coupled equations, but we cannot simulate many different failure scenarios," Dr. "We're very limited in what we can do with the existing methods. And while equations have been developed to map networks in many fields, predicting the resiliency of complex networks or systems with missing information overwhelms the existing ability of even the most powerful supercomputers.
#Grid mapping anthropology series
Mathematically, a changing network can be described by a series of coupled nonlinear equations. Over time, the system changes, with some nodes appearing or disappearing, links growing stronger or weaker or changing relationship to one another as the system as a whole responds to that change. In one visualization of a network, each of the players is a dot, a node, connected to other players by links that represent the relationship between them - think who eats whom in a forest and how that impacts the overall population of each species, or how information moving across a social media site influences opinions. Predicting resilience starts by mapping the system as a network, a graph in which the players (an animal, neuron, power station) are connected by the relationships between them, and how that relationship affects each of the players and the network overall. Gao wants the ability to predict the impact of those dwindling populations on the rest of the ecosystem. As the climate changes, and more species are stressed, Dr. A species that can't adapt will dwindle to extinction, perhaps driving a cascade of other species, which eat the first, to the brink of extinction also. Imagine the effects of climate change on an ecosystem, Dr. And with that, we can predict and prevent failure." "The mathematical tools we are building will make it possible to evaluate the resilience of any system. Gao, an assistant professor of computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER award to tackle the problem. That makes it hard to prevent a collapse," said Dr. But the events leading to a loss of resilience in a system are rarely predictable and often irreversible. "After a certain point, damage to a system is so great that it causes catastrophic failure.