Evolving graphs: dynamical models, inverse problems and propagation

Applications such as neuroscience, telecommunication, on-line social networking, transport and retail trading give rise to connectivity patterns that change over time. In this work we address the resulting need for network models and computational algorithms that deal with dynamic links. We introduce a new class of evolving range-dependent random graphs that gives a realistic but tractable framework for modeling and simulation. We develop a spectral algorithm for calibrating a set of edge ranges from a sequence of network snapshots, and give a proof of principle illustration on some neuroscience data. We also show how the model can be used computationally and analytically to investigate the scenario where an evolutionary process, such as an epidemic, takes place on an evolving network. This allows us to study the cumulative effect of two distinct types of dynamics.