Competition and complexity in spatially connected networks

Much attention has recently been paid to the potential of using analytical tools derived from ecology and biology for analyzing competitive (or synergetic) interactions in a complex spatial network. Defining a network as a complex space‐time system, this article investigates the implications of spatial interconnections when oscillating or chaotic behavior in a certain node of a network is spread in both space and time. The main focus is on stability/ complexity in a network with a view to varying complexity in terms of the number of functional elements (e.g., nodes, competing/growing centers). Some simulation experiments involving simple‐dimensional spatial systems are described.