Network Science
Topology (Network)
The arrangement and pattern of connections in a network—how nodes are linked to each other. Different topologies have different properties for information flow, robustness, and efficiency.
Biological Context
Food webs, neural networks, and metabolic pathways all have characteristic topologies. Scale-free networks have hub nodes with many connections. Small-world networks have short average path lengths. Topology affects how systems respond to disturbance and how information spreads.