Research@ARL: Network Sciences
Abstract
The objective of the Network Science Program of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is to perform foundational research on network science (NS) leading to a fundamental understanding of the interplay within and among the physical, social/ cognitive, information, and communication networks. This research is expected to lead to insights on how processes and parameters in one network affect and are affected by those in other networks. The underlying long-term goal is to optimize human performance and to greatly enhance speed and precision for complex networked military operations. We define Network Science as the study of complex systems whose behavior and responses are determined by exchanges and interactions between subsystems across a possibly dynamic and usually poorly defined set of pathways. The fundamental components of a network are its structure (nodes and links or pathways) and its dynamics, which together specify the network s properties (functions and behaviors). The Army is embarked upon an information age transformation loosely referred to as Network Centric Warfare (NCW) or Network Centric Operations (NCO). NCW/NCO seeks to dramatically increase mission effectiveness via robust networking for information sharing leading to shared situational awareness, improved collaboration and self-synchronization, and enhanced sustainability and speed of command [1, 2]. Central to this effort is an understanding of the interaction of networks in the physical, informational, cognitive, and social domains; thus, ARL s NS program directly supports NCW/NCO. Society, as pointed out in the 2005 National Research Council (NRC) report Network Science [3], is more interconnected than it has been at any time in world history.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA610492
Entities
People
- Ananthram Swami
- Bruce J. West
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory