Potpourri of applications of complex networks research

Research on complex networks has been a subject of rigorous theoretical research in the mathematics and physics research communities in the past decade. The many discoveries that man-made and natural networks display a power-law degree distribution and small-world property have clearly indicated a high level of relevance of the study of complex networks with real-world applications. In this paper some recent results in applying complex networks research in real-world problems will be reviewed. The emphasis is on how complex networks would provide a new perspective on the way problems can be formulated, leading to possible new solution approaches. Examples in engineering, disease transmission, language, music and finance are given.