Document Type
Honors Project - Open Access
Abstract
Understanding scientific development is essential to ascertaining the mechanisms leading us into the future. Building this understanding requires both methodological developments and empirical research. This thesis contributes in both aspects using a topological approach to examine scientific knowledge. The first section presents a new algorithm to find optimal cycle representatives for homological features in complex networks, a context for which we demonstrate existing algorithms can be inadequate. The second section applies a number of topological methods, including our cycle optimization algorithm, to data on individual scientific fields, demonstrating the value of topological approaches and highlighting new insights about how science evolves.
Recommended Citation
Engelstad, Gavin, "Gaps in Knowledge: Topological Insights into the Structure of Science" (2025). Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects. 97.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/mathcs_honors/97
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