A Web of Nets
How Everything is a Network
We are pleased to announce the publication of: A Web of Nets: How Everything is a Network.
Softcover: Amazon (prices vary by region) ISBN: 979-8304379038
PDF: Gumroad ($8.88)
PDF: University of Sydney Library (free download)
This book is about networks. It is a book that we long wished existed and have wanted to read, and since it didn’t, we felt the need to create it. That isn’t to say there aren’t many books about networks, there are, at various levels, from popular science to highly academic. This book aims to be more technical than popular science books, but less than a specialist textbook. It shows equations, but they are in the sidenotes, not the main body, and it explains the conceptual foundations and qualitative implications of the mathematics. The book is multi-disciplinary, perhaps even omni-disciplinary, so there are limits to how much can be explained in a single volume and how much interpreted by a mortal reader.
A majority of ‘network science’ papers have a particular and peculiar view of the world which is, ironically, highly reductionist. Instead of trying to ‘fit’ a real world system to a narrow network model and claiming the observed model behavior as universal, we want to explore the breadth of models which can successfully be employed to model universal or specific attributes, functions and behaviors of real world systems. We hope to begin unifying network analysis.
ChatGPT
It seems only fair that when writing a book about networks, we interrogate a network for its input and obtain its point-of-view. In this case we received input from a famous neural network – specifically a large language model (LLM). With appropriate prompting, ChatGPT:
Scoped: Generated a list of networks to include. Others were added by the authors. Many were deleted.
Drafted: Generated and formatted a first draft of most chapters, which were edited.
Categorized: Generated a list of network features to include in the Schema, which was edited and extended.
Formatted: Generated and formatted tables, which were edited.
Drew: Generated and formatted many of the images in the document, especially using TikZ, which were edited.
Reviewed: Read and commented on the text.
Inspiration
Recognising that humanity, like all nature, is already a networked species, we are inspired, if also trepidatious, by the observation that the degree to which humanity is networked is increasing rapidly.
Beginning with writing, through the telegraph, to the Internet, humanity has been substituting virtual for physical access for anything that can be virtualized. But not everything can be virtual. Urbanization continues apace for the time being: many metropolises are getting more populous, but even more significantly growing in space, even as many cities, and developed countries have peaked in population.
Our latest networks extend beyond extant transport, communications, and social media. Understanding the networks upon which subsequent networks emerge is prerequisite to making wise choices. The newest networks facilitate a fluid exchange of knowledge and insights across minds globally. Individuals access a global repository of knowledge to innovate and solve complex problems. In the optimistic version, the network pools experiences and insights, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the world. In the dystopian counterpoint, we remain in different information bubbles and fail to find common ground.
The network cultivates empathy (and sadly callousness) at a global scale. Shared narratives and experiences ideally build mutual understanding and compassion, connecting us more closely. That ideal has not been met.
Global citizenship is on the rise. Many individuals now perceive themselves as part of an interconnected world and act responsibly towards it. This shift promotes cooperation and mutual respect. But globalization has brought with it a rebound, an increasing nationalism that serves as a counterpoint.
Arguably we humans are at a turning point in our developmental if not evolutionary narrative, transitioning towards deep networking. This journey holds a collective responsibility to develop a network that embodies unity, understanding, and shared progress. Together, we forge a future characterized by collective wisdom and compassion, leading to a more just, more unified, and more connected future.1
Softcover: Amazon (prices vary by region) ISBN: 979-8304379038
PDF: Gumroad ($8.88)
PDF: University of Sydney Library (free download)
Or not.