Assessing the Structural Complexity of Computer and Communication Networks

In this tutorial, 17 structural complexity indices are presented and compared, each representing one of the following categories: adjacency- and distance-based metrics, Shannon entropy-based metrics, product measures, subgraph-based metrics, and path- and walk-based metrics. The applicability of these indices to computer and communication networks is evaluated with the aid of different elementary, specifically designed, random, and real network topologies. On the grounds of the evaluation study, advantages and disadvantages of particular metrics are identified. In addition, their general properties and runtimes are assessed, and a general view on the structural network complexity is presented.