Complex networks in the curriculum of computer engineers

Abstract

Recent investigations in the field of complex networks include the analysis of distributions of connections in particular networks and the clustering properties of networks. In the first part of this presentation we analyse a network: the dependency network of the software packages of the Ubuntu distribution of GNU/Linux. It is a directed network, and we analyse the degree distribution of the network for in-degrees (connections directed into a node, the dependent packages), out-degrees (connections directed away from a node) and plain degrees. We also analyse the clustering properties of the network. In the second part, we discuss the teaching of these topics at the college level. Using the NetworkX modul for the Python programming language students can easily investigate these properties of the package dependency network.