Essential Preparation
The laboratory examples will largely be carried out using Python and the network analysis package, Network X (networkx.github.io). Note that you may be given some example codes written in C++ and/or matlab (equivalent to the public domain language Octave (www.gnu.org/software/octave/). We will not cover the basics of any of these languages, but the examples will be explained to you in the lectures or the laboratory sessions. Please ensure that you have installed these environments on your laptop prior to the start of the module.
Recommended Reading
We will not follow one specific textbook, but will take some material out of Networks, An Introduction by M.E.J. Newman. It is not necessary to buy this book. Other material will be taken from Networks, Crowds and Markets, by David Easley and Jon Kleinberg, which is available at www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/networks-book. The module lecture notes will be supported by a number of research papers, which will be available for download from the moodle web site. Students may contact the lecturer (neil.hurley@ucd.ie) to obtain an enrolment key to access the moodle site, where some of these papers are available now. However, please be aware that, until Christmas, the moodle site will be under development and is therefore subject to change.
Programming Preparation
Students should practice Python programming. There are many online resources to support the learning of Python, for example https://developers.google.com/edu/python/
To get some advanced preparation in using the Network X package, it would be worthwhile looking at the examples available at http://networkx.github.io/documentation/latest/examples.
Other Background Reading
It would be worthwhile brushing up on some mathematical background: linear algebra (in particular, eigenvalue problems) probability and statistics and, of course, graph theory. I do not suggest buying books on these topics, but there are some available in the UCD library e.g. Linear Algebra and Its Applications by David Lay is available as an e-book in UCD library; also A Modern Introduction to Probability and Statistics Understanding Why and How by F.M. Dekking et al. is available as an e-book in UCD library. You should dip into these books to familiarise yourself with the basic concepts, rather than read them in depth.