Zoran Levnajić's network model selection review paves path to unified method

Published as an Accepted Manuscript by Springer and available on arXiv (2606.05954), Zoran Levnajić's 'Network model selection: A review of methods' provides the first comprehensive, systematic review of techniques for selecting the best-fitting model from a set of candidates for a given complex network. This is a critical challenge in network science: understanding the evolutionary processes behind networks (social, biological, technological) requires determining which generative model most accurately reproduces observed structures. The book covers both classic and modern methods, grouping them into four categories based on their core principle, and includes the author's original observations and notes on software availability for each method.

Beyond cataloging state-of-the-art approaches, Levnajić explores future directions and argues that a unified, optimal method could identify the mechanisms shaping real-world networks more precisely than any current approach. This work is positioned as the first step toward developing that unified method, making it an essential resource for students and researchers in network science, physics, computer science, and statistics. The book is particularly valuable for practitioners who need practical guidance on which selection method to apply, as it explicitly discusses software tools and implementation considerations.