Can we map the human mind by treating the brain as a complex network?
In short: Alain Goriely explores how the brain functions as a modular network. By applying graph theory to the brain connectome, we can better understand how different regions communicate to process information, learn, and perform cognitive tasks.
The brain is structured into distinct, modular regions, each responsible for specific functions ranging from visual processing to language. By viewing this architecture as a network—often called the brain connectome—researchers can use mathematical tools from graph theory to analyze how these parts interact. This approach has become a primary framework in modern neuroscience for connecting the physical layout of the brain to its complex operations.
Alain Goriely, the Gresham Professor of Geometry, delivered this lecture on February 4, 2025, at Barnard's Inn Hall in London. Goriely leads applied mathematics research at Oxford and was recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Connected Brain: Network and Communication - Alain Goriely
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