Published: July 3, 2016 By
Aaron Clauset's research is focused on developing computational techniques for a variety of complex networks to better understand social and biological systems.

Aaron Clauset, an assistant professor of computer science and member of the BioFrontiers Institute, accepted the prestigious Erdős-Rényi Prize in Network Science today in Seoul, Korea for his contributions to the study of network structure, community structure in networks, and his provocative analyses of human conflicts and social stratification.

The Erdős-Rényi Prize is awarded annually to a scientist under 40 years of age for fundamental contributions in the broad space of network science. Winners are chosen by a scientific commission of prominent network scientists. Clauset is the fifth recipient of the prize, which includes a $3,000 cash award and the opportunity to give a special prize lecture at the annual International Conference on Network Science.

Network science is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to studying complex networks of all kinds, including social networks, biological networks, technological networks, and more. Advances in network science have an impact on many fields by providing new insights into how networks shape and drive complex systems, and by producing new tools for analyzing and predicting the impact of network effects.

Clauset is an internationally recognized expert in network science, and the 2016 Erdős-Rényi Prize recognizes his fundamental contributions to advancing this field. His research focuses on developing novel computational techniques for characterizing the structure of complex networks and on applying these techniques to better understand complex social and biological systems. He joined the BioFrontiers Institute and the University of Colorado’s Department of Computer Science in 2010, after completing an Omidyar Fellowship at the Santa Fe Institute.