Networks & Complex Systems

Networks & Complex Systems is an interdisciplinary field of study that aims to capture the increasing connectedness of our world and lives in order to build systems that can enable better engineering practices.

This field focuses on the use of engineering, mathematics, computation, and fundamental science to study systems that may be composed of fairly simple components, but that are overall complex in terms of function, movement, or behavior. In the words of Aristotle “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”. The integration of tools like AI, computation, algorithms, and decision making are required to study these large-scale and complex problems. This field allow for the innovation of new ways and approaches to understanding economic, social, ecological, and biological systems. Researchers in MIE are probing new theoretical questions and integrative pathways to design and govern various networks and complex systems that impact our everyday life including access to healthcare, medicine, food, protecting the environment, and transportation.

Within the MIE department at Northeastern, we have a strong, talented group of researchers dedicated to Networks & Complex Systems.