Editing Network topology (section)

==Decentralization==
In a partially connected mesh topology, there are at least two nodes with two or more paths between them to provide redundant paths in case the link providing one of the paths fails. Decentralization is often used to compensate for the single-point-failure disadvantage that is present when using a single device as a central node (e.g., in star and tree networks). A special kind of mesh, limiting the number of hops between two nodes, is a [[Hypercube_internetwork_topology|hypercube]]. The number of arbitrary forks in mesh networks makes them more difficult to design and implement, but their decentralized nature makes them very useful.

This is similar in some ways to a [[grid network]], where a linear or ring topology is used to connect systems in multiple directions.  A multidimensional ring has a [[torus|toroidal]] topology, for instance.

A ''fully connected network'', ''complete topology'', or ''full mesh topology'' is a network topology in which there is a direct link between all pairs of nodes. In a fully connected network with n nodes, there are <math>\frac{n(n-1)}{2}\,</math> direct links. Networks designed with this topology are usually very expensive to set up, but provide a high degree of reliability due to the multiple paths for data that are provided by the large number of redundant links between nodes. This topology is mostly seen in [[military]] applications.