A network is a set of points connected by lines. The points are called nodes and the lines are referred to as links.
Networks appear in many applications. For example, the nodes can be
In some contexts, the nodes have well-defined geographic positions (e.g. your mailing address). Sometimes the nodes are in a rather abstract space (e.g. your homepage on the world wide web). I am mostly interested in the first case, i.e. networks with an underlying spatial structure. Here are some examples of such spatial networks:
 Network of cargo ships. |
 Road network of London. |
 Commuter trains around Boston. |
In my research I analyse such networks with tools from graph theory and complexity science. I also develop models to understand the structure of spatial networks.
Selected publications:
Pablo Kaluza, Andrea Kölzsch, Michael T. Gastner, and Bernd Blasius
The complex network of global cargo ship movements
Journal of the Royal Society Interface 7, 1093-1103 (2010).
(Preprint available)
Hyejin Youn, Michael T. Gastner, and Hawoong Jeong
The price of anarchy in transportation networks: efficiency and
optimality control
Physical Review Letters 101, 128701 (2008).
(Preprint available)
Michael T. Gastner and M. E. J. Newman
Optimal design of spatial distribution networks
Physical Review E 74, 016117 (2006).
(Preprint available)
Michael T. Gastner and M. E. J. Newman
Shape and efficiency in spatial distribution networks
Journal of Statistical Mechanics, P01015 (2006).
(Preprint available)
Michael T. Gastner and M. E. J. Newman
The spatial structure of networks
European Physical Journal B 49, 247-252 (2006).
(Preprint available)