Mathematical Opportunities in Large-Scale Network Dynamics

The Internet is an example of a large-scale, massively-distributed, and highly-interacting network of devices (i.e.,computers) characterized by explosive growth, extreme heterogeneity any which way one looks, and unpredictable or even chaotic dynamic behavior.Measuring, modeling, simulating, and especially analyzing such networks pose completely new and immensely challenging mathematical problems, where scale, complexity, robustness, adaptivity, and dynamic play key roles and need to be faced head-on. Solving these problems can be expected to have profound implications for the efficient design and effective engineering, control, and management of future communication networks such as the next-generation Internet and wireless networks, or sensor networks (i.e., networks of massively-distributed, dynamic, and physically-embedded devices).

This workshop is a follow-up meeting to an April 28-29, 2000 BMS-NRC Workshop on "The Interface between the Mathematical Sciences and Three Areas of Computer Science: Network Traffic Modeling, Computer Vision,and Data Mining." It is aimed at introducing and attracting mathematicians to the field and at pointing out some the most significant mathematical challenges associated with measuring, simulating, modeling, and analyzing large-scale,heterogeneous, and complex communication networks. In addition to a small number of tutorial-type and cutting-edge research talks by experts in the field, there will be a panel on the evolution of communication networks -- withpanelists representing the various (not necessarily consistent) perspectives ofbackbone providers, Internet service providers, and content distribution network providers -- followed by a discussion about how the mathematical sciences can provide a framework for formulating and (hopefully) solving key issues related to network evolution. Also there will be a presentation by NSFand other federal agency program directors and a discussion to acquaint the participants with funding opportunities in Network Dynamics and to help them apply for grants in this emerging field.

[This meeting will dovetail with the IMA HOT TOPICS Workshop "Wireless Networks," August 8-10, 2001, and the first day (Wednesday, August 8) of that workshop will be an assessment, for wireless networks, of issues that overlap directly with the Network Dynamics workshop. Thus it isrecommended that participants in this latter workshop stay on at least through Wednesday.]

This workshop will bring together mathematicians/statisticians interested in (or involved in) networking research and networking experts, to assess mathematical challenges in the field and funding opportunities for interdisciplinary research teams. Goals are that the participants come away with a clearer idea of the mathematical issues and funding opportunities in network modeling, and that they make useful new contacts with researchers in other disciplines and in industry that are working on aspects of the same problems.