This is an archive of the original website for the Physical Networks IV satellite at NetSci26 hosted on Google Sites. The content here may not be up to date, and some links may be broken. Please refer to the current website for the latest information about the satellite.
Welcome to Physical Networks IV, a NetSci26 satellite on complex networks whose nodes and links are physical objects embedded in space. The satellite is a half-day program at the Hyatt Regency, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on June 2, 2026, 14:30 to 18:00.
Date
June 2, 2026
Time
14:30 to 18:00
Venue
Hyatt Regency, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Room
Harvard Square A
Physical Networks: an emerging topic in Network Science
Physical networks aim to understand complex systems subjected to physical constraints, such as volume exclusion or repulsive forces, that shape their topological and geometric organization. Systems as diverse as neurons, cell cytoskeletons, vascular structures, porous and colloidal networks, and disordered metamaterials are complex systems consisting of nodes and links that are physical objects that cannot overlap with each other.
The interdisciplinary exploration of such a large variety of systems under the unifying framework of network science has just begun.
Program
Meet our speakers
Mason A. Porter
Department of Mathematics
University of California, Los Angeles
Jörn Dunkel
Department of Mathematics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Katia Bertoldi
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
Xiangyi Meng
Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Ivan Bonamassa
International Research Center for Complexity Science, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute (H3I)
Beihang University
Registration
There are registration options for the satellite-only event or for the full NetSci26 conference. Traveling funds for the satellite’s applicants are available upon reasonable request. Please contact the organizers for more information.
Keywords
Network & Soft Materials Statistical Topology Random Packings Rheology & Jamming Network Geometry Polymer Physics Critical Phenomena
Call for contributions
We welcome contributions spanning multiple disciplines, including mathematics, physics, material science, computer science, and biophysics. Following the success of the first, second, and third satellites, the aim is to create an interdisciplinary venue focusing on short talks and discussions that address key challenges, innovative ideas, applications, and recent advances on physical networks or related topics.
Submit a contributed talk. Are you working with networks where the shape of nodes and links matter?
Submit an abstract to present at Physical Networks IV.
Topics include 3D and 2D spatial networks, morphology and function, network materials, contact networks, brain networks, packings, and related systems.
Deadline: April 30, 2026, Anywhere on Earth.
Submission: send a one-page abstract to physnet@ceu.edu.
Status: The application period is now closed.
Application period closed
Organizing committee
Márton Pósfai
Department of Network and Data Science, CEU
Jasper Van der Kolk
Department of Network and Data Science, CEU
Ting-Ting Gao
Network Science Institute, Northeastern University
Jun Yamamoto
Department of Network and Data Science, CEU
Archive
Previous satellite editions are available in the archive. The archive is a curated static reconstruction of public Google Sites pages, with image placeholders designed to be replaced by manually downloaded local copies.