MODELING and OPTIMIZATION of OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS Optical networks are an integral part of many of the technologies that we use every day. It is a constantly changing and evolving area, with new materials, processes, and applications coming online almost daily. This book provides a basis for discussing open principles, methods and research problems in the modeling of optical communication networks. It also provides a systematic overview of the state-of-the-art research efforts and potential research directions dealing with optical communication metworks. It also simultaneously focuses on extending the limits of currently used systems encompassing optical and wireless domains and explores novel research on wireless and optical techniques and systems, describing practical implementation activities, results and issues. A handbook on applications for both academia and industry, this exciting new volume includes detailed discussions on real-world case studies on trends and emerging technologies associated with modeling of optical communication networks. This book also describes several numerical models and algorithms for simulation and optimization of optical communication networks. Modeling and optimization presents several opportunities for automating operations and introducing intelligent decision making in network planning and in dynamic control and management of network resources, including issues like connection establishment, self-configuration, and self-optimization, through prediction and estimation by utilizing present network state and historical data. It focuses on extending the limits of currently used systems encompassing optical and wireless domains, and explores the latest developments in applications like photonics, high speed communication systems and networks, visible light communication, nano-photonics, wireless, and MIMO systems.