Multiplex dynamics on the world trade web

Abstract

The network of international trade, where countries are represented with nodes and trade relations are represented by directed, weighted edges is an important economic model. In this paper, we consider a multiplex version of this system, wherein nations are connected by multiple edges, representing different commodities, based on a new approach for multilayer network models. The central idea behind this method is to use a network dynamics interpretation of the commodity flows to construct a single operator representing the entire system. This allows us to study the global structure of the trade network as a single object instead of as a disjoint collection of layers. We analyze centralities and communities determined by this model and show that studying the multiplex as a whole allows us to uncover structure not evident in the individual layers or the aggregate network.