Science of Networks!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the complexity reading session. This time we talk about networks. Our reference will be Chapter 15 and 16 of Dr.Melanie Mitchell's book "Complexity: A Guided Tour". This time we try to figure out the following things:

1. What are some examples of networks in an economy that show the characteristics of complex behaviour?

2. How is the analysis of networks an important consideration in the understanding of economies, and in the crafting of relevant institutions and incentives?

3. Network science emphasizes looking at the nature of relationships between agents. One key focus has been on information and how it spreads between agents. What are some of the things that could strengthen the speed and quality of agents communicating at the levels of the individual, firm or state?

We will be joined by Kamal Ramburuth-Hurt in conducting this very interesting session. Here are some amazing articles and books suggested to further enrich our understanding:

Academic articles:

• The Review of Network Economics. 4 issues per year 2002-2007. Available online

• Economides, N., 1996. The economics of networks. International journal of industrial organization, 14(6), pp.673-699. Available online.

• Watts, D.J. and Strogatz, S.H., 1998. Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’networks. nature, 393(6684), pp.440-442.

• Neffke, F., Henning, M. and Boschma, R., 2011. How do regions diversify over time? Industry relatedness and the development of new growth paths in regions. Economic geography, 87(3), pp.237-265. Available online.

  Books:

• Goyal, S., 2012. Connections: an introduction to the economics of networks. Princeton University Press.

• Bramoullé, Y., Galeotti, A. and Rogers, B. eds., 2016. The Oxford handbook of the economics of networks. Oxford University Press.

• Hausmann, R., Hidalgo, C.A., Bustos, S., Coscia, M. and Simoes, A., 2014. The atlas of economic complexity: Mapping paths to prosperity. Mit Press.

Hope to see you guys in the session!