This workshop will bring together a multidisciplinary collection of mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, biological scientists, and social scientists for the purpose of developing models of complex networks in both human and biological systems, with special emphasis given to integration of social and ecological networks. The specific objectives used to structure the workshop are: (1) establishing common ground; (2) modeling of complex systems; (3) interfacing and extension; (4) visualization and exploration; and (5) data quality issues. Thirty experts in the various disciplines have been invited to participate in a three-day workshop at the Duke Marine Laboratory in March of 2001. Prior to the meeting, in order to establish common ground, we will distribute to each participant a statement of purpose, key readings, and a lexicon of analogous terms used in the various disciplines. The workshop will commence with a full day of focused presentations, a second day devoted to breakout groups focusing on the last four objectives, and a final day where breakout group summaries and recommendations will be synthesized using rapporteurs. The attendees will: identify the common issues of complexity across disciplines, the limitations to cross fertilizations of ideas, and ways to overcome these limitations; explore the appropriateness of various mathematical and statistical network models and analyses developed by mathematicians, statisticians, and social and biological scientists applicable to the study of complex biological systems; explore the inclusion of human system dynamics, both of a trophic and non-trophic nature, into models of complex biological systems; develop and improve computer based tools for the exploratory visual analysis of complex biological systems; and, address issues concerning the quality of data used in modeling biocomplexity in food webs and trophic networks.
Both social scientists and ecologists use network models to study complexity. However, current computer-based methods of the study of complexity in human and biological systems are not fully developed. Most significantly, these models lack integration of human and ecological networks. Until now, there has been much work done on a variety of fields in complexity, but there has been little contact among researchers in the various fields, each field forming an "invisible college." Recently, social scientists and ecologists have recognized their parallel efforts and have begun collaboration. Short-term products of this workshop will include publications from the attendees, but the greater significance will come in the long-term with increased collaboration among scientists from different backgrounds. This workshop will aid in promoting such collaboration and has the potential to contribute significantly to a better understanding of various problems in the study of biocomplexity. This incubation activity was funded as part of the FY2000 Biocomplexity Special Competition.