The confusion behind networks

First, to reduce confusion, if you see me mention NetworkX, that is not a typo. That is a Python library we will be making heavy use of in this book. Python is a very popular programming language.

I have worked in information technology (IT) my entire career, and have even gone farther than that. During some points of my career, I pursued security certifications such as Security+ and CISSP for job requirements, and I have constantly worked with other IT professionals, such as network engineers. So, believe me when I tell you that I understand the awkwardness that is involved in discussing network science with people who view networks as primarily based on TCP/IP and subnets.

Networks are all around us and even inside of us. In fact, our brain is the most complex thing we have found in the universe, as discussed in the book How to Create a Mind (Kurzweil, 2012). Our brain comprises of hundreds of billions of cells interlinked through trillions of...