We introduce Forman-Ricci curvature and its corresponding flow as characteristics for complex networks attempting to extend the common approach of node-based network analysis by edge-based characteristics. Following a theoretical introduction and mathematical motivation, we apply the proposed network-analytic methods to static and dynamic complex networks and compare the results with established node-based characteristics. Our work suggests a number of applications for data mining, including denoising and clustering of experimental data, as well as extrapolation of network evolution.
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