Arrangements for networks

A method of analyzing a network including a plurality of nodes associated and/or connected together by links, the method employing a processor coupled to a data memory, wherein the processor is configured to access a first representation of said network and associated link weight measures w in said memory,

• the method comprising steps of:
• (i) providing node values for the nodes and determining from the node values corresponding slope measures for links existing between the nodes, the slope measures being computed from a function of differences in node values and from the weight measures w for the links, the weight measures w being used for scaling the function of differences in node values;
• (ii) selecting for at least some of the nodes one or more steepest ascent links having one or more greatest positive slope measures;
• and
• (iii) generating a second representation corresponding to a steepest ascent graph (SAG) of the network derived from information included in the steepest ascent links.

The method of 32, further comprising steps of:

• (d) identifying nodes which are local maxima of the steepest ascent graph (SAG) as center nodes;
• (e) grouping the nodes into regions surrounding each identified center node;
• (f) removing the center nodes and the links to the center nodes from the steepest ascent graph (SAG);
• (g) identifying neighboring nodes of the center nodes as head nodes;
• and
• (h) grouping nodes into sub-regions surrounding each identified head node, the nodes of a sub-region being linked to the head node of that sub-region in the steepest ascent graph (SAG).