Networks (or graphs) are an effective abstraction for representing many real-world complex systems. Analyzing various structural properties of and dynamics on such networks reveal valuable insights about the behavior of such systems. In today's data-rich world, we are deluged by the massive amount of heterogeneous data from various sources, such as the web, infrastructure, and online social media. Analyzing this huge amount of data may take a prohibitively long time and even may not fit into the main memory of a single processing unit, thus motivating the necessity of efficient parallel algorithms in various high-performance computing (HPC) platforms. In this dissertation, we present distributed and shared memory parallel algorithms for some important network analytic problems. First, we present distributed memory parallel algorithms for switching edges in a network. Edge switch is an operation on a network, where two edges are selected randomly, and one of their end vertices are swapped with each other. This operation is repeated either a given number of times or until a specified criterion is satisfied. It has diverse real-world applications such as in generating simple random networks with a given degree sequence and in modeling and studying various dynamic networks. One of the steps in our edge switch algorithm requires generating multinomial random variables in parallel. We also present the first non-trivial parallel algorithm for generating multinomial random variables. Next, we present efficient algorithms for assortative edge switch in a labeled network. Assuming each vertex has a label, an assortative edge switch operation imposes an extra constraint, i.e., two edges are randomly selected and one of their end vertices are swapped with each other if the labels of the end vertices of the edges remain the same as before. It can be used to study the effect of the network structural properties on dynamics over a network. Although the problem of assortative edge switch seems to be similar to that of (regular) edge switch, the constraint on the vertex labels in assortative edge switch leads to a new difficulty, which needs to be addressed by an entirely new algorithmic approach. We first present a novel sequential algorithm for assortative edge switch; then we present an efficient distributed memory parallel algorithm based on our sequential algorithm. Finally, we present efficient shared memory parallel algorithms for generating random networks with exact given degree sequence using a direct graph construction method, which involves computing a candidate list for creating an edge incident on a vertex using the Erdos-Gallai characterization and then randomly creating the edges from the candidates. / Ph. D.

The advances in social media and social computing technologies have dramatically changed the way through which people interact, organize, and collaborate. The use of social media also makes the large-scale data revealing human behavior accessible to researchers and practitioners. The analysis and modeling of social networks formed from relatively stable online communities have been extensively studied. The research on the structural and dynamical patterns of large-scale crowds motivated by accomplishing common goals, named the cyber movement organizations (CMO) or cyber-enabled social movement organizations (CeSMO), however, is still limited to anecdotal case studies. This research is one of the first steps towards the understanding of the CMO/CeSMO based on real data collected from online social media.The focus of my research is on the study of an important type of CMO/CeSMO, the crowd-powered search behavior (also known as human flesh search, HFS), in which a large number of Web users voluntarily gathered together to find out the truth of an event or the information of a person that could not be identified by one single person or simple online searches. In this research, I have collected a comprehensive data-set of HFS. I first introduce the phenomenon of HFS and reviewed the study of online social groups/communities. Then, I present the empirical studies of both individual HFS episodes and aggregated HFS communities, and unveiled their unique topological properties. Based on the empirical findings, I propose two models to simulate evolution and topology of individual HFS networks. I conclude the dissertation with discussions of future research of CMO/CeSMO.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Fabrício Olivetti de França / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Computação, 2017. / Um dos tópicos estudados em Ciência das Redes é o de detecção de comunidades, que são sub-redes com características que se destacam dentro de seu conjunto. Diversos algoritmos de detecção de comunidades foram criados, se diferenciando na natureza da comunidade estimada. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal analisar diferentes algoritmos de detecção de comunidades da literatura para criação de um modelo de escolha de algoritmos de detecção de comunidade a partir das características da rede. Para isso, três hipóteses. Foram testadas: i) os melhores algoritmos de detecção de comunidade se complementam em relação à redes em que obtém seu melhor desempenho; ii) o desempenho de cada algoritmo de detecção de comunidade esta ligada diretamente _a propriedade da rede. iii) uma vez que as propriedades da rede são mensuradas, é possível fazer uma escolha dos melhores algoritmos de detecção de comunidade para essa rede. Para a primeira hipótese foram testados sete algoritmos do estado da arte e avaliados seus desempenhos individuais sobre redes artifiais, em termos da métrica de Informação Mutua Normalizada (NMI). Veríamos a existência de um conjunto de algoritmos que obtiveram o maior NMI para determinados tipos de redes e nenhum outro algoritmo obteve esse mesmo valor, concluindo que a escolha adequada do algoritmo de acordo com as características da rede é importante. Para a segunda hipótese foram testados modelos de regressão com o objetivo de verificar a possibilidade de estimar o desempenho de cada algoritmo baseado nas caracteristicas da rede. Verifcamos que a maioria dos modelos foram superiores aos da base de referencia utilizados, principalmente ao remover as redes infectaveis. Para a terceira hipótese foram testados algoritmos de classicação com o objetivo de escolher um ou mais algoritmos de acordo com a características da rede. Verificamos que o desempenho dos modelos obtidos pelos algoritmos foram superiores aos da base de referencia, com algumas ressalvas. / One of the topics studied in Network Science is the community detection, that are subnetworks with features that stand out as a whole. Many algorithms were developed for the detection of communities, difering in the nature of the estimated community. This dissertation has as its main objective, the analysis of diferent community detection algorithms from the literature to create models to help choosing the best algorithms given the features from the network. For this purpose, three hypotheses were tested: i) whether the best algorithms for detecting communities complement each other in relation to the networks in which they obtain better performance; ii) whether the performance of each community detection algorithm is directly associated with the network property, and iii) once the network properties are measured, whether it is possible to choose the best community detection algorithms for this network. For the first hypothesis, seven stateof- the-art algorithms were tested and their individual performances in articial networks were evaluated in terms of the NMI metric. We verifed the existence of a set of algorithms that obtained the highest NMI for certain types of networks and no other algorithm obtained that same value, concluding that the proper choice of the algorithm according to the network features is important. For the second hypothesis, regression models were tested to verify the possibility of estimate the performance of each algorithm based on the features of the network. We verifed that most of the models were superior to the baseline used, mainly in the removal of infeasible networks. For the third hypothesis, the classifcation algorithms were tested to choose one or more algorithms according to the network features. We veried that the performance of the models obtained by the algorithms was higher than those of the baseline, with some caveats.

<div>Complex systems are often characterized by a large collection of components interacting in nontrivial ways. Self-organization among these individual components often leads to emergence of a macroscopic structure that is neither completely regular nor completely random. In order to understand what we observe at a macroscopic scale, conceptual, mathematical, and computational tools are required for modeling and analyzing these interactions. A principled approach to understand these complex systems (and the processes that give rise to them) is to formulate generative models and infer their parameters from given data that is typically stored in the form of networks (or graphs). The increasing availability of network data from a wide variety of sources, such as the Internet, online social networks, collaboration networks, biological networks, etc., has fueled the rapid development of network science. </div><div><br></div><div>A variety of generative models have been designed to synthesize networks having specific properties (such as power law degree distributions, small-worldness, etc.), but the structural richness of real-world network data calls for researchers to posit new models that are capable of keeping pace with the empirical observations about the topological properties of real networks. The mechanistic approach to modeling networks aims to identify putative mechanisms that can explain the dependence, diversity, and heterogeneity in the interactions responsible for creating the topology of an observed network. A successful mechanistic model can highlight the principles by which a network is organized and potentially uncover the mechanisms by which it grows and develops. While it is difficult to intuit appropriate mechanisms for network formation, machine learning and evolutionary algorithms can be used to automatically infer appropriate network generation mechanisms from the observed network structure.</div><div><br></div><div>Building on these philosophical foundations and a series of (not new) observations based on first principles, we extrapolate an action-based framework that creates a compact probabilistic model for synthesizing real-world networks. Our action-based perspective assumes that the generative process is composed of two main components: (1) a set of actions that expresses link formation potential using different strategies capturing the collective behavior of nodes, and (2) an algorithmic environment that provides opportunities for nodes to create links. Optimization and machine learning methods are used to learn an appropriate low-dimensional action-based representation for an observed network in the form of a row stochastic matrix, which can subsequently be used for simulating the system at various scales. We also show that in addition to being practically relevant, the proposed model is relatively exchangeable up to relabeling of the node-types. </div><div><br></div><div>Such a model can facilitate handling many of the challenges of understanding real data, including accounting for noise and missing values, and connecting theory with data by providing interpretable results. To demonstrate the practicality of the action-based model, we decided to utilize the model within domain-specific contexts. We used the model as a centralized approach for designing resilient supply chain networks while incorporating appropriate constraints, a rare feature of most network models. Similarly, a new variant of the action-based model was used for understanding the relationship between the structural organization of human brains and the cognitive ability of subjects. Finally, our analysis of the ability of state-of-the-art network models to replicate the expected topological variations in network populations highlighted the need for rethinking the way we evaluate the goodness-of-fit of new and existing network models, thus exposing significant gaps in the literature.</div>

<p>It was only in the last decade that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technologies have achieved high-quality levels that enabled comprehensive assessments of individual human brain structure and functions. One of the most important advancements put forth by Thomas Yeo and colleagues in 2011 was the intrinsic functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) networks which are highly reproducible and feature consistently across different individual brains. This dissertation aims to unravel different characteristics of human brain fcMRI networks, separately through network morphospace and collectively through stochastic block models.</p><p><br></p><p>The quantification of human brain functional (re-)configurations across varying cognitive demands remains an unresolved topic. Such functional reconfigurations are rather subtle at the whole-brain level. Hence, we propose a mesoscopic framework focused on functional networks (FNs) or communities to quantify functional (re-)configurations. To do so, we introduce a 2D network morphospace that relies on two novel mesoscopic metrics, Trapping Efficiency (TE) and Exit Entropy (EE). We use this framework to quantify the Network Configural Breadth across different tasks. Network configural breadth is shown to significantly predict behavioral measures, such as episodic memory, verbal episodic memory, fluid intelligence and general intelligence.</p><p><br></p><p>To properly estimate and assess whole-brain functional connectomes (FCs) is among one of the most challenging tasks in computational neuroscience. Among the steps in constructing large-scale brain networks, thresholding of statistically spurious edge(s) in FCs is the most critical. State-of-the-art thresholding methods are largely ad hoc. Meanwhile, a dominant proportion of the brain connectomics research relies heavily on using a priori set of highly-reproducible human brain functional sub-circuits (functional networks (FNs)) without properly considering whether a given FN is information-theoretically relevant with respect to a given FC. Leveraging recent theoretical developments in Stochastic block model (SBM), we first formally defined and subsequently quantified the level of information-theoretical prominence of a priori set of FNs across different subjects and fMRI task conditions for any given input FC. The main contribution of this work is to provide an automated thresholding method of individuals’ FCs based on prior knowledge of human brain functional sub-circuitry.</p>

Urban development planning efforts are challenged to enhance coevolving spatial and socioeconomic systems that exist and interact at multiple scales. While network and simulation sciences have created new tools and theories suitable for urban studies, models of development are not yet suitable for local and regional development planning. A case study of the City of Roanoke, Virginia, grounded network development theories of scaling, engagement, and collective perception function, as well as network forms. By advancing urban development network theory, frameworks for urban simulation like agent-based models take more coherent shape. This in turn better positions decision-making and planning practitioners to adapt, transform, or renew local network-oriented development systems, and conceptualize a framework for computational urban development planning for regions and localities. / Ph. D.

Sistemas Complexos são característicos por possuir uma rede interna representando o relacionamento estrutural entre seus elementos e uma forma natural de interpretar essa interação é através de um grafo. Neste trabalho, o sistema de transporte público urbano de São Paulo é reinterpretado de forma acoplada (ônibus e metrô juntos) como uma rede complexa, abstraindo detalhes operacionais e focando na conectividade. Pelo grafo empiricamente gerado, é feita uma caraterização estatística nas métricas de redes complexas, onde diferentes valores de raio de distância são usados para agrupar pontos e estações próximas que antes se apresentavam desconectados. Esse agrupamento pode ser interpretado como uma ferramenta de política pública, representando a disposição do usuário em se locomover ao ponto mais próximo para acessar o transporte. O processo mostrou que aumentar essa disposição gera grande redução na distância e número de passos entre ônibus, trens e linhas de metrô para atingir todos os destinos da rede. É utilizado um modelo exploratório que testa a robustez da rede aleatoriamente, deterministicamente e probabilisticamente tendo como alvo pontos e linhas. De acordo com os raios de agrupamento, definido como disposição, diferentes valores de fragmentação foram obtidos diante dos ataques simulados. Esses resultados suportam duas principais características observadas na literatura de redes deste tipo: possuem um elevado grau de robustez à falhas aleatórias, mas são vulneráveis a ataques tendo como alvo nós ou links importantes / Complex systems are characteristic by having an internal network representing the structural relationship between its elements and a natural way to interpret this interaction is through a graph. In this work, the urban public transport system of São Paulo is reinterpreted as a coupled (bus and subway) complex network, bypassing operational details and focusing on connectivity. Using the empirically generated graph, a statistical characterisation is made by network metrics where different radius values are used to group nearby stops and stations that were disconnected before. That can be interpreted as a public policy tool, representing the user\'s willingness to get around the nearest point to access transportation. This process has shown that increasing this willingness generates great reduction in the distance and in the number of jumps between buses, trains and subways lines to achieve all the network destinations. An exploratory model is used to test the robustness of the network by randomly, deterministically and preferentially targeting the stops and service lines. According to the grouping radius, aka willingness, different fragmentation values were obtained under attack simulations. These findings support two main characteristics observed in such networks literature: they have a high degree of robustness to random failures, but are vulnerable to targeted attacks

En France, la nécessaire rationalisation des moyens alloués aux hôpitaux a abouti à une concentration des ressources et une augmentation de la complexité des plateaux techniques. Leur pilotage et leur répartition territoriale s’avèrent d’autant plus difficile, soulevant ainsi la problématique de l’optimisation des systèmes de soins. L’utilisation des données massives produites pas ces systèmes pourrait constituer une nouvelle approche en matière d’analyse et d’aide à la décision. Méthode : A partir d’une réflexion sur la notion de performance, différentes approches d’optimisation préexistantes sont d’abord mis en évidence. Le bloc opératoire a été choisi en tant que terrain expérimental. Suit une analyse sur une fusion d’établissements en tant qu’exemple d’une approche d’optimisation par massification.Ces deux étapes permettent de défendre une approche alternative qui associe l’usage de données massives, la science des réseaux et la visualisation des données sous forme cartographique. Deux sets de séjours en chirurgie orthopédique sur la région ex-Midi-Pyrénées sont utilisés. L’enchainement des séjours de soins est considéré en tant en réseau de données. L’ensemble est projeté dans un environnement visuel développé en JavaScript et permettant une fouille dynamique du graphe. Résultats : La possibilité de visualiser des parcours de santé sous forme de graphes NŒUDS-LIENS est démontrée. Les graphes apportent une perception supplémentaire sur les enchainements de séjours et les redondances des parcours. Le caractère dynamique des graphes permet en outre leur fouille. L’approche visuelle subjective est complétée par une série de mesures objectives issues de la science des réseaux. Les plateaux techniques de soins produisent des données massives utiles à leur analyse et potentiellement à leur optimisation. La visualisation graphique de ces données associées à un cadre d’analyse tel que la science des réseaux donne des premiers indicateurs positifs avec notamment la mise en évidence de motifs redondants. La poursuite d’expérimentations à plus large échelle est requise pour valider, renforcer et diffuser ces observations et cette méthode. / In France, the streamlining of means assigned hospitals result in concentration of resources ana growing complexily of heallhcare facilities. Piloting and planning (them turn out to be all the more difficult, thus leading of optimjzation problems. The use of massive data produced by these systems in association with network science an alternative approach for analyzing and improving decision-making support jn healthcare. Method : Various preexisting optimisation are first highblighted based on observations in operating theaters chosen as experirnentai sites. An analysis of merger of two hospitlas also follows as an example of an optimization method by massification. These two steps make it possible to defend an alternative approach that combines the use of big data science of networks data visualization techniques. Two sets of patient data in orthopedic surgery in the ex-Midi-Pyrénées region in France are used to create a network of all sequences of care. The whole is displayed in a visual environment developed in JavaScript allowing a dynamic mining of the graph. Results: Visualizing healthcare sequences in the form of nodes and links graphs has been sel out. The graphs provide an additional perception of' the redundancies of he healthcare pathways. The dynamic character of the graphs also allows their direct rnining. The initial visual approach is supplernented by a series of objcctive measures from the science of networks. Conciusion: Healthcare facilities produce massive data valuable for their analysis and optimization. Data visualizalion together with a framework such as network science gives prelimiaary encouraging indicators uncovering redondant healthcare pathway patterns. Furthev experimentations with various and larger sets of data is required to validate and strengthen these observations and methods.

This thesis investigates the role of network structure, brokerage, and framing in high-risk collective action. I use the protest movement that emerged in Russia following falsified national elections in 2011 and 2012 as an empirical case study. I draw on a unique dataset of nearly 30,000 online documents and the linking structure of over 3,500 Russian Web sites. I employ a range of computational social science methods, including Exponential Random Graph Modeling, an advanced statistical model for social networks, social network analysis, machine learning, and latent semantic analysis. I address three research questions in this thesis. The first asks if a protest network challenging a hybrid regime will have a polycentric or hierarchical structure, and if that structure changes over time. Polycentric networks are conducive to high-risk collective action and are robust to the targeted removal of key nodes, while hierarchical networks can more easily mobilize protesters and spread information. I find that the Russian protest network has a polycentric structure only at the beginning of the protests, and moves towards a less effective hierarchical structure as the movement loses popular support. The second research question seeks to understand if brokered text is actually novel, and if that text is more novel in polycentric networks than in hierarchical ones. Brokers are the individuals or nodes in a network that connect disparate groups through weak ties and close structural holes. Brokers are advantageous because they have access to and spread novel information. I find that the text among nodes in brokered relationships is indeed novel, but that information novelty decreases when networks have a hierarchical structure. The last research question asks if a protest movement in a high-risk political setting can be more successful than the government at spreading its preferred frames, and within such a movement, whether moderate or extremist framing is more prevalent. I find that the opposition is far more effective than the government in spreading its frames, even when the government organizes massive counter protests. Within the movement, moderates are more likely to have their framing adopted online than extremists, unless violence occurs at protests. The findings suggest that movements should build flatter, more diffuse networks by ensuring that brokers tie together diverse protest constituencies. The findings also provide evidence against those who claim that authoritarian governments are more effective in shaping online discourse than oppositional movements, and also suggest that movements should advance moderate framing in order to attract a wider base of support among the general population.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2014-09-11T11:50:01Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertacao Diego Americo Guedes.pdf: 971567 bytes, checksum: a39a61e190ff600e318da0dd24eb108c (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-09-11T11:50:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertacao Diego Americo Guedes.pdf: 971567 bytes, checksum: a39a61e190ff600e318da0dd24eb108c (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In this work we present and evaluate a modeling methodology that describes the creation of a topology for wireless mesh networks, and how this topology changes over time. The modeling methodology is based on network science, which is a multidisciplinary research area that has a lot of tools to help in the study and analysis of networks. In wireless mesh networks, the relative importance of the nodes is often related to the topological aspects, and data flow. However, due to the dynamics of the network, the relative importance of the nodes may vary in time. In the context of network science, the concept of centrality metric represents the relative importance of a node in the network. In this work we show also that the current centrality metrics are not able to rank properly the nodes in wireless mesh networks. Then we propose a new metric of centrality that ranks the most important nodes in a wireless mesh network over time. We evaluate our proposal using data from a case study of the proposed modeling methodology and also from real wireless mesh networks, achieving satisfactory performance. The characteristics of our metric make it a useful tool for monitoring dynamic networks. / Neste trabalho, apresentamos e avaliamos uma modelagem que descreve a criação de uma topologia para redes em malha sem fio e como essa se altera no tempo. A modelagem é baseada em ciência das redes (network science), uma área multidisciplinar de pesquisa que possui uma grande quantidade de ferramentas para auxiliar no estudo e análise de redes. Em redes em malha sem fio, a importância relativa dos nós é frequentemente relacionada a aspectos topológicos e ao fluxo de dados. Entretanto, devido à dinamicidade da rede, a importância relativa de um nó pode variar no tempo. No contexto de ciência de redes, o conceito de métricas de centralidade reflete a importância relativa de um nó na rede. Neste trabalho, mostramos também que as métricas atuais de centralidade não são capazes de classificar de maneira adequada os nós em redes em malha sem fio. Propomos então uma nova métrica de centralidade que classifica os nós mais importantes em uma rede em malha sem fio ao longo do tempo. Avaliamos nossa proposta com dados obtidos de um estudo de caso da modelagem proposta e de redes em malha sem fio reais, obtendo desempenho satisfatório. As características da nossa métrica a tornam uma ferramenta útil para monitoramento de redes dinâmicas.