CSH Talk by Niklas Reisz “Unraveling Multilayer Information Diffusion”

Niklas Reisz will present a talk on Friday, September 22nd, 2023 from 3 to 4 PM.

Title: Unraveling Multilayer Information Diffusion

Abstract: In today’s information-driven society, our study delves deep into the dynamics of information flow across dynamic multilayer networks, underpinning scientific progress and societal evolution.

This talk gives an overview of our research during my PhD studies at the Complexity Science Hub. The first part of the thesis investigates the intricate workings of scientific citation networks, uncovering the forces of preferential attachment and temporal decay that shape the fate of scholarly publications. By predicting the citation landscape for 2050 and pioneering the study of “exaptations,” we provide insights into knowledge evolution. Extending our research to the geographic diffusion of scientific expertise, we reveal the prominence of preferential attachment dynamics in scientific mobility. We demonstrate that highly attractive locations can ignite thriving research, debunking the notion of critical mass requirements.

In the second part, we explore social networks, highlighting how “homophily” enhances machine learning predictions for song popularity by examining music preferences and friendship networks. Our interdisciplinary journey culminates in the introduction of an innovative system for tracking multilayer social interaction networks, which has practical implications for optimizing organizational information flow.

In summary, we study information diffusion to offer practical insights for scientific communities, the music industry, and organizational communication. Join us in unraveling the complexities of information dynamics that steer progress in contemporary society.

Bio: Niklas Reisz is a researcher and consultant who holds a master’s degree in technical physics from TU Wien, earned in 2018. His master’s thesis established a Monte Carlo model to study head scatter effects in computed tomography. He further diversified his knowledge with a bachelor’s degree in “Business, Economics, and Social Sciences” from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, focusing on innovation, open-source software, and crypto-economics.

From 2018 to 2023, Niklas pursued his Ph.D. at the Complexity Science Hub. His research explored the science of science, social networks, process mining, and recommender systems. He developed models to understand how scientific papers gain attention, how discoveries cross disciplines, and how social interactions drive music popularity. Niklas also created software applications to analyze information flows in organizations, conducting social experiments.

Currently, Niklas contributes to Austria’s green transition in the energy sector as a data science consultant. Additionally, he operates a software company that specializes in AI solutions.