Visualization of Complex Networks

The analysis of dynamic complex networks can be substantially simplified by graphics if results from graph drawing and visualization are used. Because of many NP-hard problems, e. g. minimizing edge intersections in planar layouts, application-dependent heuristics are necessary. Furthermore, the visualization of dynamic networks has to keep the mental map, i. e. the internal "picture" of the network in the mind of the observer. This means that the dynamics in the network layout should not be created by the layout algorithm but only by the changes in the network. For the analysis of dynamic trees, especially barrier trees describing the possible secondary structures of evolving RNA, the group of Prof. Scheuermann has done promising work that will be transfered to dynamic complex networks during the proposed project.