Macroscopic features of production network and sequential graph drawing

Abstract

Nation-wide economic system has both stability and flexibility in normal condition. In this study, we solve how these two superficially inconsistent properties are materialized, by exploring macroscopic structure of production network of Japan. For the purpose of this analysis, we developed a method which can generate successive layouts of changing large-scale complex network. By applying the proposed method, we visualize a series of Japanese production network with supplier–customer link direction. It is already known that the Japanese production network has the so-called “bow-tie” structure of directed network. Our method lets us examine how the bow-tie structure changes along with time, to find a stable core part and ephemeral peripheral part. Combined with quantitative analysis, we found that it is the way of transformation of this structure that makes both integrity and flexibility possible within a single economic network.