Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

The network takeover

Nature Physics volume 8, pages 14–16 (2012)Cite this article

Reductionism, as a paradigm, is expired, and complexity, as a field, is tired. Data-based mathematical models of complex systems are offering a fresh perspective, rapidly developing into a new discipline: network science.

Reports of the death of reductionism are greatly exaggerated. It is so ingrained in our thinking that if one day some magical force should make us all forget it, we would promptly have to reinvent it. The real worry is not with reductionism, which, as a paradigm and tool, is rather useful. It is necessary, but no longer sufficient. But, weighing up better ideas, it became a burden.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Onnela, J. P. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 7332–7336 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hidalgo, C. A., Klinger, B., Barabási, A. L. & Hausmann, R. Science 317, 482–487 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Barabási, A. L. & Albert, R. Science 286, 509–512 (1999).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Newman, M. E. J. Networks: An Introduction (Oxford Univ. Press, 2010).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Palla, G., Farkas, I. J., Derényi, I. & Vicsek, T. Nature 435, 814–818 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pastor-Satorras, R. & Vespignani, A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3200–3203 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pastor-Satorras, R., Vázquez, A. & Vespignani, A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 258701 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Maslov, S. & Sneppen, K. Science 296, 910–913 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Watts, D. J. & Strogatz, S. H. Nature 393, 440–442 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Barabási, A. L. & Albert, R. Rev. Mod. Phys. 74, 47–97 (2002).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Albert, R., Jeong, H. & Barabási, A-L. Nature 401, 130–131 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Albert-László Barabási is at the Center for Complex Network Research and Departments of Physics, USA,

    Albert-László Barabási

  2. and the Department of Medicine Computer Science and Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA,

    Albert-László Barabási

  3. the Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115,

    Albert-László Barabási

  4. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA,

    Albert-László Barabási

Authors
  1. Albert-László Barabási
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albert-László Barabási.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barabási, AL. The network takeover. Nature Phys 8, 14–16 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2188

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2188

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing