The large amount of relational data electronically available makes its exploration through visual interfaces an interesting research domain and a promising area for the development of new software products. New visual tools appear each day for exploring social networks, databases, computer networks, semantic web networks, security data, etc.
Recently, the widespread adoption of tablets and smartphones all the more increases the need for innovative visual interfaces that are both intuitive and effective. The goal of this course is exactly that of introducing the participants to the problems and the solutions in the field of the visual exploration of abstract data, with a particular emphasis on the adopted graphic metaphors and on the algorithmic methods and models used. The knowledge of the participants about algorithm engineering and network optimization problems is deepened. Such a knowledge is applied to different kinds of visualization problems with a strong practical attitude.