3d International ICST Conference on Bio-Inspired Models of Network, Information, and Computing Systems

Research Article

ELASTICITY: Topological Characterization of Robustness in Complex Networks

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/ICST.BIONETICS2008.4713,
        author={A. Sydney and C. Scoglio and Phillip Schumm and Robert E. Kooij},
        title={ELASTICITY: Topological Characterization of Robustness in Complex Networks},
        proceedings={3d International ICST Conference on Bio-Inspired Models of Network, Information, and Computing Systems},
        publisher={ICST},
        proceedings_a={BIONETICS},
        year={2010},
        month={5},
        keywords={Complex Networks | Robustness | Spectral Analysis | Social Networks},
        doi={10.4108/ICST.BIONETICS2008.4713}
    }
    
  • A. Sydney
    C. Scoglio
    Phillip Schumm
    Robert E. Kooij
    Year: 2010
    ELASTICITY: Topological Characterization of Robustness in Complex Networks
    BIONETICS
    ICST
    DOI: 10.4108/ICST.BIONETICS2008.4713
A. Sydney1,*, C. Scoglio1,*, Phillip Schumm1,*, Robert E. Kooij2,*
  • 1: EECE, Kansas State University
  • 2: Delft University of Technology, TNO ICT the Netherlands
*Contact email: asydney@ksu.edu, caterina@ksu.edu, pbschumm@ksu.edu, robert.kooij@tno.nl

Abstract

Just as a herd of animals relies on its robust social structure to survive in the wild, similarly robustness is a crucial characteristic for the survival of a complex network under attack. The capacity to measure robustness in complex networks defines a network’s survivability in the advent of classical component failures and at the onset of cryptic malicious attacks. To date, robustness metrics are deficient and unfortunately the following dilemmas exist: accurate models necessitate complex analysis while conversely, simple models lack applicability to our definition of robustness. In this paper, we define robustness and present a novel metric, elasticity- a bridge between accuracy and complexity-a link in the chain of network robustness. Additionally, we “test-drive” the performance of elasticity on Internet topologies and online social networks, and articulate results.