Infomap

Infomap identifies modules in complex networks by applying the Map Equation to detect flow-based modularity in ecological networks and other complex systems.

Key Features:

• Map Equation framework: Implements the Map Equation information-theoretic framework to optimize modular partitions.
• Flow-based modularity detection: Detects modules based on network flows such as biomass transfers in food webs and disease transmission pathways.
• Network type support: Handles directed, weighted, and multilayer networks.
• Information-theoretic compression–pattern duality: Exploits the relationship between data compression and pattern detection to uncover significant network patterns.

Scientific Applications:

• Ecological network analysis: Identifies modular structures to inform understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes and network stability.
• Food webs and disease transmission: Maps biomass transfers in food webs and traces disease transmission pathways through modular organization.
• Cross-disciplinary complex systems: Applies to other biological disciplines and non-biological complex systems for detecting dynamic modular structures.

Methodology:

Optimizes the Map Equation using information-theoretic principles that balance data compression and pattern detection, applied to directed, weighted, and multilayer networks.