Chapter 15 - Dynamics and dynamic networks

Summary

Some networks, many in fact, vary with time. They may grow in size, gaining nodes and links. Or they may shrink, losing links and becoming sparser over time. Sitting behind many networks are drivers that change the structure, predictably or not, leading to dynamic networks that exhibit all manner of changes. This chapter focuses on describing and quantifying such dynamic networks, recognizing the challenges that dynamics bring, and finding ways to address those challenges. We show how to represent dynamic networks in different ways, how to devise null models for dynamic networks, and how to compare and contrast dynamical processes running on top of the network against a network structure that is itself dynamic. Dynamic network data also brings practical issues, and we discuss working with date and time data and file formats.