Detecting community structure in complex networks based on a measure of information discrepancy

Properties of complex networks, such as small-world property, power-law degree distribution, network transitivity, and network- community structure which seem to be common to many real-world networks have attracted great interest among researchers. In this study, global information of the networks is considered by defining the profile of any node based on the shortest paths between it and all the other nodes in the network; then a useful iterative procedure for community detection based on a measure of information discrepancy and the popular modular function Q is presented. The new iterative method does not need any prior knowledge about the community structure and can detect an appropriate number of communities, which can be hub communities or non-hub communities. The computational results of the method on real networks confirm its capability.     

Modelling of weighted evolving networks with community structures

Many social and biological networks consist of communities–groups of nodes within which links are dense but among which links are sparse. It turns out that most of these networks are best described by weighted networks, whose properties and dynamics depend not only on their structures but also on the link weights among their nodes. Recently, there are considerable interests in the study of properties as well as modelling of such networks with community structures. To our knowledge, however, no study of any weighted network model with such a community structure has been presented in the literature to date. In this paper, we propose a weighted evolving network model with a community structure. The new network model is based on the inner-community and inter-community preferential attachments and preferential strengthening mechanism. Simulation results indicate that this network model indeed reflect the intrinsic community structure, with various power-law distributions of the node degrees, link weights, and node strengths.     

Properties of asymmetrically evolved community networks

This paper studies a simple asymmetrically evolved community network with a combination of preferential attachment and random properties. An important issue about community networks is to discover the different utility increments of two nodes, where the utility is introduced to investigate the asymmetrical effect of connecting two nodes. On the other hand, the connection of two nodes in community networks can be classified as two nodes belonging to the same or to different communities. The simulation results show that the model can reproduce a power-law utility distribution P(u)～u^-σ, σ = 2 + 1/p, which can be obtained by using mean-field approximation methods. Furthermore, the model exhibits exponential behaviour with respect to small values of a parameter denoting the random effect in our model at the low-utility region and a power-law feature with respect to big values of this parameter at the high-utility region, which is in good agreement with theoretical analysis. This kind of community network can reproduce a unique utility distribution by theoretical and numerical analysis.     

A Weighted Evolving Network with Community Size Preferential Attachment

Community structure is an important characteristic in real complex network. It is a network consists of groups of nodes within which links are dense but among which links are sparse. In this paper, the evolving network include node, link and community growth and we apply the community size preferential attachment and strength preferential attachment to a growing weighted network model and utilize weight assigning mechanism from BBV model. The resulting network reflects the intrinsic community structure with generalized power-law distributions of nodes' degrees and strengths.     

基于联合矩阵分解的节点多属性网络社团检测

发现复杂网络中的社团结构在社会网络、生物组织网络和在线网络等复杂网络中具备十分重要的意义. 针对社交媒体网络的社团检测通常需要利用两种信息源: 网络拓扑结构特征和节点属性特征, 丰富的节点内容属性信息为社团检测的增加了灵活性和挑战. 传统方法是要么仅针对这两者信息之一进行单独挖掘, 或者将两者信息得到的社团结果进行线性叠加判决, 不能有效进行信息源的融合. 本文将节点的多维属性特征作为社团划分的一种有效协同学习项进行研究, 将两者信息源进行融合分析, 提出了一种基于联合矩阵分解的节点多属性网络社团检测算法CDJMF, 提高了社团检测的有效性和鲁棒性. 实验表明, 本文所提的方法能够有效利用节点的属性信息指导社团检测, 具备更高的社团划分质量.     

A thermal flux-diffusing model for complex networks and its applications in community structure detection

We introduce a thermal flux-diffusing model for complex networks. Based on this model, we propose a physical method to detect the communities in the complex networks. The method allows us to obtain the temperature distribution of nodes in time that scales linearly with the network size. Then, the local community enclosing a given node can be easily detected for the reason that the dense connections in the local communities lead to the temperatures of nodes in the same community being close to each other. The community structure of a network can be recursively detected by randomly choosing the nodes outside the detected local communities. In the experiments, we apply our method to a set of benchmarking networks with known pre-determined community structures. The experiment results show that our method has higher accuracy and precision than most existing globe methods and is better than the other existing local methods in the selection of the initial node. Finally, several real-world networks are investigated.     

加权网络权重自相似评判函数及其社团结构检测

提出了权重自相似性加权网络社团结构评判函数,并基于该函数提出一种谱分析算法检测社团结构,结果表明算法能将加权网络划分为同一社团内边权值分布均匀,而社团间边权值分布随机的社团结构.通过建立具有社团结构的加权随机网络分析了该算法的准确性,与WEO和WGN算法相比,在评判权重自相似的阈值系数取较小时,该算法具有较高的准确性.对于一个具有n个节点和c个社团的加权网络,社团结构检测的复杂度为O(cn2/2).通过设置评判权重自相似的阈值系数,可检测出能反映节点联系稳定性的层化性社团结构.这与传统意义上只将加权网络划分为社团中边权值较大而社团间边权值较小的标准不同,从另一个角度更好地提取了加权网络的结构信息.     

Overlapping community detection using a generative model for networks

Detecting overlapping communities is a challenging task in analyzing networks, where nodes may belong to more than one community. Many present methods optimize quality functions to extract the communities from a network. In this paper, we present a probabilistic method for detecting overlapping communities using a generative model. The model describes the probability of generating a network with the model parameters, which reflect the communities in the network. The community memberships of each node are determined based on a probabilistic approach using those model parameters, whose values can be obtained by fitting the model to the network. This method has the advantage that the node participation degrees in each community are also computed. The proposed method is compared with some other community detection methods on both synthetic networks and real-world networks. The experiments show that this method is efficient at detecting overlapping communities and can provide better performance on the networks where a majority of nodes belong to more than one community.     

A validity index approach for network partitions

The validity index has been used to evaluate the fitness of partitions produced by clustering algorithms for points in Euclidean space. In this paper, we propose a new validity index for network partitions, which can provide a measure of goodness for the community structure of networks. It is defined as a product of two factors, and involves the compactness and separation for each partition. The simulated annealing strategy is used to minimize such a validity index function in coordination with our previous k-means algorithm based on the optimal reduction of a random walker Markovian dynamics on the network. It is demonstrated that the algorithm can efficiently find the community structure during the cooling process. The number of communities can be automatically determined without any prior knowledge of the community structure. Moreover, the algorithm is successfully applied to three real-world networks.     

一种新的网络传播中最有影响力的节点发现方法

在复杂网络的传播模型研究中, 如何发现最具影响力的传播节点在理论和现实应用中都有重大的意义. 目前的研究一般使用节点的度数、紧密度、介数和K-shell等中心化指标来评价影响力, 这种方法虽然简单, 但是由于它们仅利用了节点自身的内部属性, 因而在评价影响力时精确度并不高, 普遍性适用性较弱.为了解决这个问题, 本文提出了KSC (K-shell and community centrality)指标模型. 此模型不但考虑了节点的内部属性, 而且还综合考虑了节点的外部属性, 例如节点所属的社区等. 然后利用SIR (susceptible-infected-recovered)模型对传播过程进行仿真, 实验证明所提出的方法可以更好地发现最具有影响力的节点, 且可适用于各种复杂网络. 本文为这项具有挑战性研究提供了新的思想和方法. 关键词： 复杂网络 最具影响力的节点 社区划分 中性化测量     

Modeling network growth with assortative mixing

We propose a model of an underlying mechanism responsible for the formation of assortative mixing in networks between “similar” nodes or vertices based on generic vertex properties. Existing models focus on a particular type of assortative mixing, such as mixing by vertex degree, or present methods of generating a network with certain properties, rather than modeling a mechanism driving assortative mixing during network growth. The motivation is to model assortative mixing by non-topological vertex properties, and the influence of these non-topological properties on network topology. The model is studied in detail for discrete and hierarchical vertex properties, and we use simulations to study the topology of resulting networks. We show that assortative mixing by generic properties directly drives the formation of community structure beyond a threshold assortativity of r ∼0.5, which in turn influences other topological properties. This direct relationship is demonstrated by introducing a new measure to characterise the correlation between assortative mixing and community structure in a network. Additionally, we introduce a novel type of assortative mixing in systems with hierarchical vertex properties, from which a hierarchical community structure is found to result. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary Online Material     

Evaluation of network robustness using a node tearing algorithm

Until recently the study of failure and vulnerability in complex networks focused on the role of high degree nodes, and the relationship between their removal and network connectivity. Recent evidence suggested that in some network configurations, the removal of lower degree nodes can also cause network fragmentation. We present a disassembling algorithm that identifies nodes that are core to network connectivity. The algorithm is based on network tearing in which communities are defined and used to construct a hierarchical structure. Cut-nodes, which are located at the boundaries of the communities, are the key interest. Their importance in the overall network connectivity is characterized by their participation with neighbouring communities in each level of the hierarchy. We examine the impact of these cut-nodes by studying the change in size of the giant component, local and global efficiencies, and how the algorithm can be combined with other community detection methods to reveal the finer internal structure within a community.     

Response of scale-free networks with community structure to external stimuli

The response of scale-free networks with community structure to external stimuli is studied. By disturbing some nodes with different strategies, it is shown that the robustness of this kind of network can be enhanced due to the existence of communities in the networks. Some of the response patterns are found to coincide with topological communities. We show that such phenomena also occur in the cat brain network which is an example of a scale-free like network with community structure. Our results provide insights into the relationship between network topology and the functional organization in complex networks from another viewpoint.     

Generating weighted community networks based on local events

Many realistic networks have community structures, namely, a network consists of groups of nodes within which links are dense but among which links are sparse. This paper proposes a growing network model based on local processes, the addition of new nodes intra-community and new links intra- or inter-community. Also, it utilizes the preferential attachment for building connections determined by nodes' strengths, which evolves dynamically during the growth of the system. The resulting network reflects the intrinsic community structure with generalized power-law distributions of nodes' degrees and strengths.     

小世界网络与无标度网络的社区结构研究

模块性(modularity)是度量网络社区结构(community structure)的主要参数.探讨了Watts和Strogatz的小世界网络(简称W-S模型)以及Barabàsi 等的B-A无标度网络(简称B-A模型)两类典型复杂网络模块性特点.结果显示，网络模块性受到网络连接稀疏的影响，W-S模型具有显著的社区结构，而B-A模型的社区结构特征不明显.因此，应用中应该分别讨论网络的小世界现象和无标度特性.社区结构不同于小世界现象和无标度特性，并可以利用模块性区别网络类型，因此网络复杂性指标应该包括 关键词： 模块性 社区结构 小世界网络 无标度网络     

Error and attack tolerance of synchronization in Hindmarsh–Rose neural networks with community structure

Synchronization is one of the most important features observed in large-scale complex networks of interacting dynamical systems. As is well known, there is a close relation between the network topology and the network synchronizability. Using the coupled Hindmarsh–Rose neurons with community structure as a model network, in this paper we explore how failures of the nodes due to random errors or intentional attacks affect the synchronizability of community networks. The intentional attacks are realized by removing a fraction of the nodes with high values in some centrality measure such as the centralities of degree, eigenvector, betweenness and closeness. According to the master stability function method, we employ the algebraic connectivity of the considered community network as an indicator to examine the network synchronizability. Numerical evidences show that the node failure strategy based on the betweenness centrality has the most influence on the synchronizability of community networks. With this node failure strategy for a given network with a fixed number of communities, we find that the larger the degree of communities, the worse the network synchronizability; however, for a given network with a fixed degree of communities, we observe that the more the number of communities, the better the network synchronizability.     

Detecting community structure from coherent oscillation of excitable systems

Many networks are proved to have community structures. On the basis of the fact that the dynamics on networks are intensively affected by the related topology, in this paper the dynamics of excitable systems on networks and a corresponding approach for detecting communities are discussed. Dynamical networks are formed by interacting neurons; each neuron is described using the FHN model. For noisy disturbance and appropriate coupling strength, neurons may oscillate coherently and their behavior is tightly related to the community structure. Synchronization between nodes is measured in terms of a correlation coefficient based on long time series. The correlation coefficient matrix can be used to project network topology onto a vector space. Then by the K-means cluster method, the communities can be detected. Experiments demonstrate that our algorithm is effective at discovering community structure in artificial networks and real networks, especially for directed networks. The results also provide us with a deep understanding of the relationship of function and structure for dynamical networks.     

一种信息传播促进网络增长的网络演化模型

为了研究信息传播过程对复杂网络结构演化的影响,提出了一种信息传播促进网络增长的网络演化模型,模型包括信息传播促进网内增边、新节点通过局域世界建立第一条边和信息传播促进新节点连边三个阶段,通过多次自回避随机游走模拟信息传播过程,节点根据路径节点的节点度和距离与其选择性建立连接。理论分析和仿真实验表明,模型不仅具有小世界和无标度特性,而且不同参数下具有漂移幂律分布、广延指数分布等分布特性,呈现小变量饱和、指数截断等非幂律现象,同时,模型可在不改变度分布的情况下调节集聚系数,并能够产生从同配到异配具有不同匹配模式的网络.     

Density-based shrinkage for revealing hierarchical and overlapping community structure in networks

The investigation of community structure in networks is an important issue in many disciplines, which still remains a challenging task. First, complex networks often show a hierarchical structure with communities embedded within other communities. Moreover, communities in the network may overlap and have noise, e.g., some nodes belonging to multiple communities and some nodes marginally connected with the communities, which are called hub and outlier, respectively. Therefore, a good algorithm is desirable to be able to not only detect hierarchical communities, but also to identify hubs and outliers. In this paper, we propose a parameter-free hierarchical network clustering algorithm DenShrink. By combining the advantages of density-based clustering and modularity optimization methods, our algorithm can reveal the embedded hierarchical community structure efficiently in large-scale weighted undirected networks, and identify hubs and outliers as well. Moreover, it overcomes the resolution limit possessed by other modularity-based methods. Our experiments on the real-world and synthetic datasets show that DenShrink generates more accurate results than the baseline methods.     

利用邻域“结构洞”寻找社会网络中最具影响力节点

识别复杂网络中的关键节点对网络结构优化和鲁棒性增强具有十分重要的意义. 经典的关键节点测量方法在一定程度上能够辨识网络中影响力节点, 但存在一定局限性: 局部中心性测量方法仅考虑节点邻居的数目, 忽略了邻居间的拓扑关系, 不能在计算中反映邻居节点间的相互作用; 全局测量方法则由于算法本身的复杂性而不能应用于大规模社会网络的分析, 另外, 经典的关键节点测量方法也没有考虑社会网络特有的社区特征. 为高效、准确地辨识具有社区结构的社会网络中最具影响力节点, 提出了一种基于节点及其邻域结构洞的局部中心性测量方法, 该方法综合考虑了节点的邻居数量及其与邻居间的拓扑结构, 在节点约束系数的计算中同时体现了节点的度属性和“桥接”属性. 利用SIR(易感-感染-免疫)模型在真实社会网络数据上对节点传播能力进行评价后发现, 所提方法可以准确地评价节点的传播能力且具有强的鲁棒性.