Exploring Complex Networks Dynamics
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Verena Wolf, Gerrit Großmann, Michael Backenköhler.
Please contact Gerrit Großmann for questions about the seminar.
Registration
Please use the seminar assignment system to register.
Topic
Many real-world phenomena like rumor spreading, contagions in financial markets, epidemic outbreaks, or cognitive processes can be expressed in the terms of complex networks. The seminar explores dynamical processes which are linked to networked structures in intriguing ways. In particular, we aim at understanding the complex interplay between the topology and the emerging dynamics of a network. We analyze brain networks or online social networks and explore various techniques for their analysis and classification ranging from diffusion models and stochastic simulations to deep learning approaches.
Organisation
- All sessions take place in room 328 (E 1.3).
- A kick-off meeting will take place on Friday, 18 October, 12:30.
- The seminar takes place Thursdays 10:15 – 11:45 with two presentations per session (2 × 20–30 minutes + discussion).
- Dates: 14.11.19, 28.11.19, 19.12.19, 9.01.20, 23.01.20, 06.02.20.
- The seminar language is English.
- The seminar earns you 7 ECTS.
Requirements
There are no prerequisites to take the seminar but a basic understanding of linear algebra and probability theory will be useful.
Grade
The final grade consists of: your presentation (40%), reports (40%), and participation during the seminar discussions (20%).
Presentation
Identify the key ideas and concepts and give a self-consistent presentation explaining these concepts to your fellow students. Assume no prior knowledge about the topic. Read related work and include it where it seems useful to you or where it is necessary to understand the topic. Meet with your supervisor and send her your slides at least one week before your presentation (deadline is Wednesdays 23:59). The duration should be 20–30 min.
Report
In each seminar session (including the session of your own presentation), choose one of the two presented papers/topics and write a short report (600–1600 words) about it. Shortly summarize (what you consider to be) the main contribution or most intriguing idea of the paper. Explain what you liked/disliked about the paper (both methodically and presentation-wise). Highlight connections to other seminar papers. We do not expect comprehensive understanding of the paper.
You can use the Springer LNCS LaTeX template (every other reasonable formatting is fine too).
Send the reports as .pdf files to Gerrit Großmann by email within 13 days of
the presentation. Deadline is always Wednesdays 23:59.
Each participant gets one session where they can skip the report. With six sessions, we expect each participant to submit five short reports (but at most one report per session).
Discussions
Read each presented paper in advance (of course, we do not expect you to understand them fully) and actively participate in the discussion. We expect each participant to attend each session.