Network Automata: Coupling structure and function in real-world networks

Abstract

We introduce Network Automata, a framework which couples the topological evolution of a network to its structure. It is useful for dealing with networks in which the topology evolves according to some specified microscopic rules and, simultaneously, there is a dynamic process taking place on the network that both depends on its structure but is also capable of modifying it. It is a generic framework for modeling systems in which network structure, dynamics, and function are interrelated. At the practical level, this framework allows for easy implementation of the microscopic rules involved in such systems. To demonstrate the approach, we develop a class of simple biologically inspired models of fungal growth.