Structure-Preserving Community In A Multilayer Network: Definition, Detection, And Analysis

Multilayer networks or MLNs (also called multiplexes or network of networks) are being used extensively for modeling and analysis of data sets with multiple entity and feature types as well as their relationships. As the concept of communities and hubs are used for these analysis, a structure-preserving definition for them on MLNs (that retains the original MLN structure and node/edge labels and types) and its efficient detection are critical. There is no structure-preserving definition of a community for a MLN as most of the current analyses aggregate a MLN to a single graph. Although there is consensus on community definition for single graphs (and detection packages) and to a lesser extent for homogeneous MLNs, it is lacking for heterogeneous MLNs. In this paper, we not only provide a structure-preserving definition for the first time, but also its efficient computation using a decoupling approach, and discuss its characteristics & significance for analysis. The proposed decoupling approach for efficiency combines communities from individual layers to form a serial k-community for connected k layers in a MLN. We propose several weight metrics for composing layer-wise communities using the bipartite graph match approach based on the analysis semantics. Our proposed approach has a number of advantages. It: i) leverages extant single graph community detection algorithms, ii) is based on the widely-used maximal flow bipartite graph matching for composing k layers, iii) introduces several weight metrics that are customized for the community concept, and iv) experimentally validates the definition, mapping, and efficiency from a flexible analysis perspective on widely-used IMDb data set. Keywords: Heterogeneous Multilayer Networks; Bipartite Graphs; Community Definition and Detection; Decoupling-Based CompositionComment: 27 pages, Submitted to VLDB 201

An Efficient Framework for Computing Structure- And Semantics-Preserving Community in a Heterogeneous Multilayer Network

Multilayer networks or MLNs (also called multiplexes or network of networks) are being used extensively for modeling and analysis of data sets with multiple entity and feature types and associated relationships. Although the concept of community is widely-used for aggregate analysis, a structure- and semantics preserving definition for it is lacking for MLNs. Retention of original MLN structure and entity relationships is important for detailed drill-down analysis. In addition, efficient computation is also critical for large number of analysis. In this paper, we introduce a structure-preserving community definition for MLNs as well as a framework for its efficient computation using the decoupling approach. The proposed decoupling approach combines communities from individual layers to form a serial k-community for connected k layers in a MLN. We propose a new algorithm for pairing communities across layers and introduce several weight metrics for composing communities from two layers using participating community characteristics. In addition to the definition, our proposed approach has a number of desired characteristics. It: i) leverages extant single graph community detection algorithms, ii) introduces several weight metrics that are customized for the community concept, iii) is a new algorithm for pairing communities using bipartite graphs, and iv) experimentally validates the community computation and its efficiency on widely-used IMDb and DBLP data sets.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1903.0264

A New Community Definition For MultiLayer Networks And A Novel Approach For Its Efficient Computation

As the use of MultiLayer Networks (or MLNs) for modeling and analysis is gaining popularity, it is becoming increasingly important to propose a community definition that encompasses the multiple features represented by MLNs and develop algorithms for efficiently computing communities on MLNs. Currently, communities for MLNs, are based on aggregating the networks into single graphs using different techniques (type independent, projection-based, etc.) and applying single graph community detection algorithms, such as Louvain and Infomap on these graphs. This process results in different types of information loss (semantics and structure). To the best of our knowledge, in this paper we propose, for the first time, a definition of community for heterogeneous MLNs (or HeMLNs) which preserves semantics as well as the structure. Additionally, our basic definition can be extended to appropriately match the analysis objectives as needed. In this paper, we present a structure and semantics preserving community definition for HeMLNs that is compatible with and is an extension of the traditional definition for single graphs. We also present a framework for its efficient computation using a newly proposed decoupling approach. First, we define a k-community for connected k layers of a HeMLN. Then we propose a family of algorithms for its computation using the concept of bipartite graph pairings. Further, for a broader analysis, we introduce several pairing algorithms and weight metrics for composing binary HeMLN communities using participating community characteristics. Essentially, this results in an extensible family of community computations. We provide extensive experimental results for showcasing the efficiency and analysis flexibility of the proposed computation using popular IMDb and DBLP data sets.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1910.01737, arXiv:1903.0264