Turnbull, L., Hütt, M-T., Ioannides, A.A. et al. (8 more authors) (2018) Connectivity and complex systems: learning from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Applied Network Science, 3 (11). ISSN 2364-8228
Abstract
In recent years, parallel developments in disparate disciplines have focused on what has come to be termed connectivity; a concept used in understanding and describing complex systems. Conceptualisations and operationalisations of connectivity have evolved largely within their disciplinary boundaries, yet similarities in this concept and its application among disciplines are evident. However, any implementation of the concept of connectivity carries with it both ontological and epistemological constraints, which leads us to ask if there is one type or set of approach(es) to connectivity that might be applied to all disciplines. In this review we explore four ontological and epistemological challenges in using connectivity to understand complex systems from the standpoint of widely different disciplines. These are: (i) defining the fundamental unit for the study of connectivity; (ii) separating structural connectivity from functional connectivity; (iii) understanding emergent behaviour; and (iv) measuring connectivity. We draw upon discipline-specific insights from Computational Neuroscience, Ecology, Geomorphology, Neuroscience, Social Network Science and Systems Biology to explore the use of connectivity among these disciplines. We evaluate how a connectivity-based approach has generated new understanding of structural-functional relationships that characterise complex systems and propose a ‘common toolbox’ underpinned by network-based approaches that can advance connectivity studies by overcoming existing constraints.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. |
Keywords: | Connectivity Studies; Fundamental Unit; Emergent Behaviour; Structural Connectivity; Functional Connectivity; Measuring Connectivity |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Geography (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 04 Mar 2019 11:57 |
Last Modified: | 04 Mar 2019 13:51 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-018-0067-2 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SpringerOpen |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s41109-018-0067-2 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:141950 |