We live in a world of networks, where everything is amazingly close to everything else. The notion of 'network' turns out to be central to our times: the Internet and WWW are changing our lives; our physical existence is based on various biological networks; we are involved in all-enveloping networks of economic and social relations. Only in the 1990s did physicists begin to explore real networks, both natural and artificial, as evolving systems with intriguingly complex and effective architectures. Progress has been so immediate and astounding that we actually face a new science based on a new set of concepts, and, one may even say, on a new philosophy: the natural philosophy of a small world. Old ideas from mathematics, statistical physics, biology, computer science, and so on take on quite new forms in applications to real evolving networks. - What is common to all networks? - What are the general principles of the organization and evolution of networks? - How do the laws of nature work in communication, biological, and social networks? - What are networks? This book, written by physicists, answers these questions and presents a general insight into the world of networks.

The definitive guide to developing robust content delivery networks This book examines the real-world engineering challenges of developing robust content delivery networks (CDNs) and provides the tools required to overcome those challenges and to ensure high-quality content delivery that fully satisfies operators’ and consumers' commercial objectives. It is informed by the author’s two decades of experience building and delivering large, mission-critical live video, webcasts, and radio streaming, online and over private IP networks. Following an overview of the field, the book cuts to the chase with in-depth discussions—laced with good-natured humor—of a wide range of design considerations for different network topologies. It begins with a description of the author's own requirement filtration processes. From there it moves on to initial sketches, through considerations of stakeholder roles and responsibilities, to the complex challenges of managing change in established teams. Agile versus waterfall considerations within large blue chip companies, security, commercial models, and value chain alignment are explored in detail. Featured throughout the book are numerous "what if" scenarios that help provide a clear picture of the wide spectrum of practical contexts for which readers may be tasked with building and implementing a CDN. In addition, the book: Discusses delivery of live, catch-up, scheduled on-demand, TVOD and SVOD Offers insights into the decisions that can to be made when architecting a content distribution system over IP-based networks Covers CDN topologies, including Edge-Caching, Streaming-Splitting, Pure-Play, Operator, Satellite, and Hybrid Examines computer hosting and orchestration for dedicated appliances and virtualization Includes real-world cases covering everything from IETF, regulatory considerations, and policy formation, to coding, hardware vendors, and network operators Considers the future of CDN technologies and the market forces driving its evolution Written by a back-room engineer for back-room engineers, Content Delivery Networks gets readers up to speed on the real-world challenges they can face as well as tried-and-true strategies for addressing those challenges in order to ensure the delivery of the high-quality content delivery networks that clients demand and users expect.

Networks of relationships help determine the careers that people choose, the jobs they obtain, the products they buy, and how they vote. The many aspects of our lives that are governed by social networks make it critical to understand how they impact behavior, which network structures are likely to emerge in a society, and why we organize ourselves as we do. In Social and Economic Networks, Matthew Jackson offers a comprehensive introduction to social and economic networks, drawing on the latest findings in economics, sociology, computer science, physics, and mathematics. He provides empirical background on networks and the regularities that they exhibit, and discusses random graph-based models and strategic models of network formation. He helps readers to understand behavior in networked societies, with a detailed analysis of learning and diffusion in networks, decision making by individuals who are influenced by their social neighbors, game theory and markets on networks, and a host of related subjects. Jackson also describes the varied statistical and modeling techniques used to analyze social networks. Each chapter includes exercises to aid students in their analysis of how networks function. This book is an indispensable resource for students and researchers in economics, mathematics, physics, sociology, and business.

3G networks: architecture, planning, migration, management, and optimization. Network architectures, planning, management, and optimization 3G air interfaces: UTRA/W-CDMA and cdma2000 3G data services: UTRA/W-CDMA, cdma2000, GPRS, and EDGE Evolutionary paths for 2G networks WLL, WAP, and more New 3G systems will trigger an explosion in wireless Internet and data applications by delivering far higher data rates than have ever been possible in wireless systems before. In "Wireless Network Evolution: 2G to 3G," renowned wireless expert Vijay K. Garg covers key 3G standard and every technical issue associated with planning, management, and optimization of 3G systems. Garg reviews the fundamental principles underlying existing 2G systems, then offers specific, practical guidance on migration to 3G. Coverage includes: 3G standards activities 3G European and North American systems 3G data services for UTRA/W-CDMA, cdma2000, GPRS, and EDGE networks Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and 3G systems Major 3G enhancements for WLL applications New RF optimization techniques for 3G systems "Wireless Network Evolution: 2G to 3G" will be an invaluable resource for every practicing telecommunications engineer and technical decision maker involved in 3G planning, deployment, or management.

In this chapter we describe the motivation for writing this book and explain its scope. Some remarks on nomenclature are given in order to help the reader with a fast and easy start. The concept and structure of the material compiled is p- sented, followed by some hints on how to make best use of it. Finally the status of standardization, on which this book is based, is described. 1. 1 Motivation Probably the main motivation for starting to draft the script for this book, and eventually to finish it, was the desire to have a more or less complete, up-to-date overview of mobile network technology for myself, not only when starting my work in 3GPP standardization, but also continuously afterwards. I realized that some of my colleagues were in search of the same, and I extrapolated to the point where, after 3G technology is in in the field for some time, the huge, new step of development would be implemented and finally exist in reality: a manifold of s- tem designers, SW engineers, solution consultants, test personnel, field tech- cians and service staff would have to deal with the underlying architecture, c- cepts and detailed procedures. Yet, I noticed in my roughly two decades of work as a engineer (in a few diverse fields) that compact, consistent, and balanced ov- view material, suitable for the wider audience is scarce.

This concise text is based on a series of lectures held only a few years ago and originally intended as an introduction to known results on linear hyperbolic and parabolic equations. Yet the topic of differential equations on graphs, ramified spaces, and more general network-like objects has recently gained significant momentum and, well beyond the confines of mathematics, there is a lively interdisciplinary discourse on all aspects of so-called complex networks. Such network-like structures can be found in virtually all branches of science, engineering and the humanities, and future research thus calls for solid theoretical foundations. This book is specifically devoted to the study of evolution equations – i.e., of time-dependent differential equations such as the heat equation, the wave equation, or the Schrödinger equation (quantum graphs) – bearing in mind that the majority of the literature in the last ten years on the subject of differential equations of graphs has been devoted to elliptic equations and related spectral problems. Moreover, for tackling the most general settings - e.g. encoded in the transmission conditions in the network nodes - one classical and elegant tool is that of operator semigroups. This book is simultaneously a very concise introduction to this theory and a handbook on its applications to differential equations on networks. With a more interdisciplinary readership in mind, full proofs of mathematical statements have been frequently omitted in favor of keeping the text as concise, fluid and self-contained as possible. In addition, a brief chapter devoted to the field of neurodynamics of the brain cortex provides a concrete link to ongoing applied research.