  To comprehend the hierarchical organization of large integrated systems, we
introduce the hierarchical map equation, which reveals multilevel structures in
networks. In this information-theoretic approach, we exploit the duality
between compression and pattern detection; by compressing a description of a
random walker as a proxy for real flow on a network, we find regularities in
the network that induce this system-wide flow. Finding the shortest multilevel
description of the random walker therefore gives us the best hierarchical
clustering of the network, the optimal number of levels and modular partition
at each level, with respect to the dynamics on the network. With a novel search
algorithm, we extract and illustrate the rich multilevel organization of
several large social and biological networks. For example, from the global air
traffic network we uncover countries and continents, and from the pattern of
scientific communication we reveal more than 100 scientific fields organized in
four major disciplines: life sciences, physical sciences, ecology and earth
sciences, and social sciences. In general, we find shallow hierarchical
structures in globally interconnected systems, such as neural networks, and
rich multilevel organizations in systems with highly separated regions, such as
road networks.
