The Workshop on Internet Topology (WIT) Report

Dmitri Krioukov, kc claffy and Marina Fomenkov
Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis - CAIDA
San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, San Diego

Fan Chung
Department of Mathematics
University of California, San Diego

Alessandro Vespignani
School of Informatics
Department of Physics and Center for Biocomplexity
Indiana University

Walter Willinger
AT&T Research

Internet topology analysis has recently experienced a surge of interest in computer science, physics, and the mathematical sciences. However, researchers from these different disciplines tend to approach the same problem from different angles. As a result, the field of Internet topology analysis and modeling must untangle sets of inconsistent findings, conflicting claims, and contradicting statements.

On May 10-12, 2006, CAIDA hosted the Workshop on Internet topology (WIT). By bringing together a group of researchers spanning the areas of computer science, physics, and the mathematical sciences, the workshop aimed to improve communication across these scientific disciplines, enable interdisciplinary crossfertilization, identify commonalities in the different approaches, promote synergy where it exists, and utilize the richness that results from exploring similar problems from multiple perspectives.

This report describes the findings of the workshop, outlines a set of relevant open research problems identified by participants, and concludes with recommendations that can benefit all scientific communities interested in Internet topology research.