Network-based Modeling and Analysis in Design

Abstract

In the last two decades, network science has emerged as a vibrant interdisciplinary field and has affected our understanding in many domains, including biology, physics, computer science, economics, and social sciences. One might claim that networks are now considered as a common metaphor to describe various aspects of our social and economic lives, as well as many new technologies of the last decade. Despite its success, applications of network science have, to a large extent, focused on understanding various mechanisms related to complex systems, and to a lesser extent on using this understanding as an engineering tool. As network science is coming of age, and as engineering systems are becoming more complex, it is an appropriate time to highlight network-based modeling and analysis as an important area in design research. It is in light of such a need that we introduce this Thematic Collection.