This volume provides an introduction to and overview of the emerging field of interconnected networks which include multilayer or multiplex networks, as well as networks of networks. Such networks present structural and dynamical features quite different from those observed in isolated networks. The presence of links between different networks or layers of a network typically alters the way such interconnected networks behave - understanding the role of interconnecting links is therefore a crucial step towards a more accurate description of real-world systems. While examples of such dissimilar properties are becoming more abundant - for example regarding diffusion, robustness and competition - the root of such differences remains to be elucidated. Each chapter in this topical collection is self-contained and can be read on its own, thus making it also suitable as reference for experienced researchers wishing to focus on a particular topic.

This volume provides an introduction to and overview of the emerging field of interconnected networks which include multilayer or multiplex networks, as well as networks of networks. Such networks present structural and dynamical features quite different from those observed in isolated networks. The presence of links between different networks or layers of a network typically alters the way such interconnected networks behave - understanding the role of interconnecting links is therefore a crucial step towards a more accurate description of real-world systems. While examples of such dissimilar properties are becoming more abundant - for example regarding diffusion, robustness and competition - the root of such differences remains to be elucidated. Each chapter in this topical collection is self-contained and can be read on its own, thus making it also suitable as reference for experienced researchers wishing to focus on a particular topic.

The science of networks represented a substantial change in the way we see natural and technological phenomena. Now we have a better understanding that networks are, in most cases, networks of networks or multi-layered networks. This book provides a summary of the research done during one of the largest and most multidisciplinary projects in network science and complex systems (Multiplex). The science of complex networks originated from the empirical evidence that most of the structures of systems such as the internet, sets of protein interactions, and collaboration between people, share (at least qualitatively) common structural properties. This book examines how properties of networks that interact with other networks can change dramatically. The authors show that, dependent on the properties of links that interconnect two or more networks, we may derive different conclusions about the function and the possible vulnerabilities of the overall system of networks. This book presents a series of novel theoretical results together with their applications, providing a comprehensive overview of the field.