Overview

Recently, it became apparent that a large number of the most interesting structures and phenomena of the world can be described by networks. To develop a mathematical theory of very large networks is an important challenge. This book describes one recent approach to this theory, the limit theory of graphs, which has emerged over the last decade. The theory has rich connections with other approaches to the study of large networks, such as ``property testing'' in computer science and regularity partition in graph theory. It has several applications in extremal graph theory, including the exact formulations and partial answers to very general questions, such as which problems in extremal graph theory are decidable. It also has less obvious connections with other parts of mathematics (classical and non-classical, like probability theory, measure theory, tensor algebras, and semidefinite optimization). This book explains many of these connections, first at an informal level to emphasize the need to apply more advanced mathematical methods, and then gives an exact development of the theory of the algebraic theory of graph homomorphisms and of the analytic theory of graph limits. This is an amazing book: readable, deep, and lively. It sets out this emerging area, makes connections between old classical graph theory and graph limits, and charts the course of the future. --Persi Diaconis, Stanford University This book is a comprehensive study of the active topic of graph limits and an updated account of its present status. It is a beautiful volume written by an outstanding mathematician who is also a great expositor. --Noga Alon, Tel Aviv University, Israel Modern combinatorics is by no means an isolated subject in mathematics, but has many rich and interesting connections to almost every area of mathematics and computer science. The research presented in Lovasz's book exemplifies this phenomenon. This book presents a wonderful opportunity for a student in combinatorics to explore other fields of mathematics, or conversely for experts in other areas of mathematics to become acquainted with some aspects of graph theory. --Terence Tao, University of California, Los Angeles, CA Laszlo Lovasz has written an admirable treatise on the exciting new theory of graph limits and graph homomorphisms, an area of great importance in the study of large networks. It is an authoritative, masterful text that reflects Lovasz's position as the main architect of this rapidly developing theory. The book is a must for combinatorialists, network theorists, and theoretical computer scientists alike. --Bela Bollobas, Cambridge University, UK

Full Product Details

Author:   Laszlo Lovasz
Publisher:   American Mathematical Society
Imprint:   American Mathematical Society
Weight:   1.020kg
ISBN:  

9780821890851

ISBN 10:   0821890859
Pages:   475
Publication Date:   30 January 2013
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Preface Part 1. Large graphs: An informal introduction Very large networks Large graphs in mathematics and physics Part 2. The algebra of graph homomorphisms Notation and terminology Graph parameters and connection matrices Graph homomorphisms Graph algebras and homomorphism functions Part 3. Limits of dense graph sequences Kernels and graphons The cut distance Szemerédi partitions Sampling Convergence of dense graph sequences Convergence from the right On the structure of graphons The space of graphons Algorithms for large graphs and graphons Extremal theory of dense graphs Multigraphs and decorated graphs Part 4. Limits of bounded degree graphs Graphings Convergence of bounded degree graphs Right convergence of bounded degree graphs On the structure of graphings Algorithms for bounded degree graphs Part 5. Extensions: A brief survey Other combinatorial structures Appendix A Bibliography Author index Subject index Notation index

Reviews

Written by an eminent expert as the first monograph on this topic, this book can be recommended to anybody working on large networks and their applications in mathematics, computer science, social sciences, biology, statistical physics or chip design. - Zentralblatt Math This is an amazing book: readable, deep, and lively. It sets out this emerging area, makes connections between old classical graph theory and graph limits, and charts the course of the future. - Persi Diaconis, Stanford University It is always exciting when a mathematical theory turns out to be connected to a variety of other topics. This is the case with the recently developed subject of graph limits, which exhibits tight relations with a wide range of areas including statistical physics, analysis, algebra, extremal graph theory, and theoretical computer science. The book Large Networks and Graph Limits contains a comprehensive study of this active topic and an updated account of its present status. The author, Laszls Lovasz, initiated the subject, and together with his collaborators has contributed immensely to its development during the last decade. This is a beautiful volume written by an outstanding mathematician who is also an excellent expositor. - Noga Alon, Tel Aviv University, Israel Modern combinatorics is by no means an isolated subject in mathematics, but has many rich and interesting connections to almost every area of mathematics and computer science. The research presented in Lovasz's book exemplifies this phenomenon by taking one of the most quintessentially combinatorial of objects--the finite graph--and through the process of taking limits of sequences of such graphs, reveals and clarifies connections to measure theory, analysis, statistical physics, metric geometry, spectral theory, property testing, algebraic geometry, and even Hilbert's tenth and seventeenth problems. Indeed, this book presents a wonderful opportunity for a student in combinatorics to explore other fields of mathematics, or conversely for experts in other areas of mathematics to become acquainted with some aspects of graph theory. - Terence Tao, University of California, Los Angeles, CA Laszlo Lovasz has written an admirable treatise on the exciting new theory of graph limits and graph homomorphisms, an area of great importance in the study of large networks. It is an authoritative, masterful text that reflects Lovasz's position as the main architect of this rapidly developing theory. The book is a must for combinatorialists, network theorists, and theoretical computer scientists alike. - Bela Bollobas, Cambridge University, UK

"Written by an eminent expert as the first monograph on this topic, this book can be recommended to anybody working on large networks and their applications in mathematics, computer science, social sciences, biology, statistical physics or chip design."" - Zentralblatt Math ""This is an amazing book: readable, deep, and lively. It sets out this emerging area, makes connections between old classical graph theory and graph limits, and charts the course of the future."" - Persi Diaconis, Stanford University ""It is always exciting when a mathematical theory turns out to be connected to a variety of other topics. This is the case with the recently developed subject of graph limits, which exhibits tight relations with a wide range of areas including statistical physics, analysis, algebra, extremal graph theory, and theoretical computer science. The book Large Networks and Graph Limits contains a comprehensive study of this active topic and an updated account of its present status. The author, Laszls Lovasz, initiated the subject, and together with his collaborators has contributed immensely to its development during the last decade. This is a beautiful volume written by an outstanding mathematician who is also an excellent expositor."" - Noga Alon, Tel Aviv University, Israel ""Modern combinatorics is by no means an isolated subject in mathematics, but has many rich and interesting connections to almost every area of mathematics and computer science. The research presented in Lovasz's book exemplifies this phenomenon by taking one of the most quintessentially combinatorial of objects--the finite graph--and through the process of taking limits of sequences of such graphs, reveals and clarifies connections to measure theory, analysis, statistical physics, metric geometry, spectral theory, property testing, algebraic geometry, and even Hilbert's tenth and seventeenth problems. Indeed, this book presents a wonderful opportunity for a student in combinatorics to explore other fields of mathematics, or conversely for experts in other areas of mathematics to become acquainted with some aspects of graph theory."" - Terence Tao, University of California, Los Angeles, CA ""László Lovász has written an admirable treatise on the exciting new theory of graph limits and graph homomorphisms, an area of great importance in the study of large networks. It is an authoritative, masterful text that reflects Lovász's position as the main architect of this rapidly developing theory. The book is a must for combinatorialists, network theorists, and theoretical computer scientists alike."" - Bela Bollobas, Cambridge University, UK"

Author Information

László Lovász, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

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