Many different fractal dimensions have been proposed for networks. In A
Survey of Fractal Dimensions of Networks the theory and computation of
the most important of these dimensions are reviewed, including the box
counting dimension, the correlation dimension, the mass dimension, the
transfinite fractal dimension, the information dimension, the
generalized dimensions (which provide a way to describe multifractals),
and the sandbox method (for approximating the generalized dimensions).
The book describes the use of diameter-based and radius-based boxes, and
presents several heuristic methods for box counting, including greedy
coloring, random sequential node burning, and a method for computing a
lower bound. We also discuss very recent results on resolving ambiguity
in the calculation of the information dimension and the generalized
dimensions, and on the non-monotonicity of the generalized dimensions.
Anyone interested in the theory and application of networks will want to
read this Brief. This includes anyone studying, e.g., social networks,
telecommunications networks, transportation networks, ecological
networks, food chain networks, network models of the brain, or financial
networks.