Dear Melanie,

I'am wondering if the lecture 4 has not to be after lecture 9, since a lot of the method used to idendify discrete populations are based on populations graph : Monmonnier algorithm and TESS.  If we do not change the order, we need  to have a link between the two lectures.

Question: I think that I miss something about network method and perhaps my question is very naive but

I'am not sure to be clear with network methods: are all the method based on a graph theory a network method? Or what make the difference between a network method and a method based on graph theory?

Finally are Monmonier algorithm and or TESS network methods?

Stéphanie

Dear Stephanie -

I think the population assignment lecture should definitely come before the network lecture.   You are right, several of the population assignment methods use some underlying form that is considered a graph.  However, these approaches are really using them for interpolation of genetic variation (identify major breaks, etc) and not really as a network.  In addition, they fit nicely with population assignment information. 

To link the lectures, you could introduce these examples as interpolation methods that can also be used as networks.  I could then reinforce those that were given as interpolation methods in your lecture.  It could be that this confuses the issue.  If you like, we can converse in more detail via e-mail to figure out a good way to connect the lectures.

There is overlap/synergy between graph theory and network analysis.  The best explanation of the difference in my opinion is that networks are some sort of graph (named or unnamed), but not all graphs are used for network application.  A network has some flow (implicitly or explicitly modeled depending on the approach), as in electricity, goods, movement etc.  Graphs can be used for many applications, including theoretical mathematics.   In addition, graph theory can be used to build a graph/network.  However, in ecological application there is a tendency to use graph/network interchangeably. I will go back through my slides and make sure I am consistent.  In addition, in two of the examples (circuitscape and gravity models) flow is explicitly in the equation.  I will also go through the wording on the types of models and see if I can do any clarification. 

Thank you for the feedback.  Let me know if we should talk further on how to link the lectures.

Melanie

Previously Stephanie Manel wrote:

Dear Melanie,

I'am wondering if the lecture 4 has not to be after lecture 9, since a lot of the method used to idendify discrete populations are based on populations graph : Monmonnier algorithm and TESS.  If we do not change the order, we need  to have a link between the two lectures.

Question: I think that I miss something about network method and perhaps my question is very naive but

I'am not sure to be clear with network methods: are all the method based on a graph theory a network method? Or what make the difference between a network method and a method based on graph theory?

Finally are Monmonier algorithm and or TESS network methods?

Stéphanie

I also have a slide on graph theory / network analysis in lecture 5.  I can turn this into a link to the previous lecture.