Complex Networks: Traffic Dynamics, Network Performance, and Network Structure

This paper explores traffic dynamics and performance of complex networks. Complex networks of various structures are studied. We use node betweenness centrality, network polarization, and average path length to capture the structural characteristics of a network. Network throughput, delay, and packet loss are used as network performance measures. We investigate how internal traffic, through put, delay, and packet loss change as a function of packet generation rate, network structure, queue type, and queuing discipline through simulation. Three network states are classified. Further, our work reveals that the parameters chosen to reflect network structure, including node betweenness centrality, network polarization, and average path length, play important roles in different states of the underlying networks.