"This book provides a complete introduction to the fundamentals of socio-technical networks, including its definition, historical background, and significance. The authors provide basic network architecture from the OSI model perspective and address some challenging design issues. The text covers all major network protocol design in a typical STN and the application of wireless networks in STN access. The last part presents case studies from healthcare, virtual communities, and power plant management"-- Provided by publisher."While there are some sporadic journal articles on socio-technical networks, readers need an integrated resource discussing the STN design. This book provides a complete introduction to the fundamentals of socio-technical networks, including its definition, historical background, and significance. The authors provide basic network architecture from the OSI model perspective and address some challenging design issues. The text also covers all major network protocol design in a typical STN and the application of wireless networks such as sensor networks, WiMAX, etc. in STN access. The book presents STN case studies from healthcare, virtual communities"-- Provided by publisher.Covering basic STN architecture from a physical/technological perspective, the book considers the system design process in a typical STN, including inputs, processes/actions, and outputs, processes/actions, and outputs/products. It covers current applications in society, including transportation networks, energy systems, telehealthcare, financial networks, and the World Wide Web. A group of STN expert contributors addresses privacy and security topics in the interdependent context of critical infrastructure, which include risk models, trust models, and privacy preserving schemes. --The book examines the most important STN models, including graph theory, inferring agent dynamics, decision theory, and information mining. It also explains structural studies, behavioral studies, agent/actor system studies and policy studies, in different STN contexts. Complete with in-depth case studies, this book supplies the practical insight needed to address contemporary STN design issues. --Book Jacket.
Includes bibliographical references and index.