Link Prediction via Community Detection in Bipartite Multi-Layer Graphs

International audienceThe growing number of multi-relational networks pose new challenges concerning the development of methods for solving classical graph problems in a multi-layer framework, such as link prediction. In this work, we combine an existing bipartite local models method with approaches for link prediction from communities to address the link prediction problem in multi-layer graphs. To this end, we extend existing community detection-based link prediction measures to the bipartite multi-layer network setting. We obtain a new generic framework for link prediction in bipartite multi-layer graphs, which can integrate any community detection approach, is capable of handling an arbitrary number of networks, rather inexpensive (depending on the community detection technique), and able to automatically tune its parameters. We test our framework using two of the most common community detection methods, the Louvain algorithm and spectral partitioning, which can be easily applied to bipartite multi-layer graphs. We evaluate our approach on benchmark data sets for solving a common drug-target interaction prediction task in computational drug design and demonstrate experimentally that our approach is competitive with the state-of-the-art

Link Prediction via Community Detection in Bipartite Multi-Layer Graphs

International audienceThe growing number of multi-relational networks pose new challenges concerning the development of methods for solving classical graph problems in a multi-layer framework, such as link prediction. In this work, we combine an existing bipartite local models method with approaches for link prediction from communities to address the link prediction problem in multi-layer graphs. To this end, we extend existing community detection-based link prediction measures to the bi-partite multi-layer network setting. We obtain a new generic framework for link prediction in bipartite multi-layer graphs, which can integrate any community detection approach, is capable of handling an arbitrary number of networks, rather inexpensive (depending on the community detection technique), and able to automatically tune its parameters. We test our framework using two of the most common community detection methods, the Louvain algorithm and spectral partitioning, which can be easily applied to bipartite multi-layer graphs. We evaluate our approach on benchmark data sets for solving a common drug-target interaction prediction task in computational drug design and demonstrate experimentally that our approach is competitive with the state-of-the-art

Structure of Heterogeneous Networks

Heterogeneous networks play a key role in the evolution of communities and the decisions individuals make. These networks link different types of entities, for example, people and the events they attend. Network analysis algorithms usually project such networks unto simple graphs composed of entities of a single type. In the process, they conflate relations between entities of different types and loose important structural information. We develop a mathematical framework that can be used to compactly represent and analyze heterogeneous networks that combine multiple entity and link types. We generalize Bonacich centrality, which measures connectivity between nodes by the number of paths between them, to heterogeneous networks and use this measure to study network structure. Specifically, we extend the popular modularity-maximization method for community detection to use this centrality metric. We also rank nodes based on their connectivity to other nodes. One advantage of this centrality metric is that it has a tunable parameter we can use to set the length scale of interactions. By studying how rankings change with this parameter allows us to identify important nodes in the network. We apply the proposed method to analyze the structure of several heterogeneous networks. We show that exploiting additional sources of evidence corresponding to links between, as well as among, different entity types yields new insights into network structure

Multilayer Networks

In most natural and engineered systems, a set of entities interact with each other in complicated patterns that can encompass multiple types of relationships, change in time, and include other types of complications. Such systems include multiple subsystems and layers of connectivity, and it is important to take such "multilayer" features into account to try to improve our understanding of complex systems. Consequently, it is necessary to generalize "traditional" network theory by developing (and validating) a framework and associated tools to study multilayer systems in a comprehensive fashion. The origins of such efforts date back several decades and arose in multiple disciplines, and now the study of multilayer networks has become one of the most important directions in network science. In this paper, we discuss the history of multilayer networks (and related concepts) and review the exploding body of work on such networks. To unify the disparate terminology in the large body of recent work, we discuss a general framework for multilayer networks, construct a dictionary of terminology to relate the numerous existing concepts to each other, and provide a thorough discussion that compares, contrasts, and translates between related notions such as multilayer networks, multiplex networks, interdependent networks, networks of networks, and many others. We also survey and discuss existing data sets that can be represented as multilayer networks. We review attempts to generalize single-layer-network diagnostics to multilayer networks. We also discuss the rapidly expanding research on multilayer-network models and notions like community structure, connected components, tensor decompositions, and various types of dynamical processes on multilayer networks. We conclude with a summary and an outlook.Comment: Working paper; 59 pages, 8 figure