Abstract: Systems and methods for the automatic routing of data packets in dynamic networks, wherein at least a portion of a route for a data packet is modeled as a fluid dynamics potential flow characterized by an irrotational velocity field. Each data packet is the analogue of a flow particle, an originating node of the data packet is the analogue of a source, and a destination node of the data packet is the analogue of a sink. Each of one or more nodes intermediate to the originating node and the destination node for a data packet are defined as a stream function (?) which adheres to the definition of irrotational and incompressible potential flow that independently represents a flow phenomenon that can influence the route of the data packet. A route for a data packet is calculated based on its current location and the aggregate stream function comprising the sum of each of the flow phenomena acting on the data packet.