On the termination of some biclique operators on multipartite graphs

International audienceWe define a new graph operator, called the weak-factor graph, which comes from the context of complex network modelling. The weak-factor operator is close to the well-known clique-graph operator but it rather operates in terms of bicliques in a multipartite graph. We address the problem of the termination of the series of graphs obtained by iteratively applying the weak-factor operator starting from a given input graph. As for the clique-graph operator, it turns out that some graphs give rise to series that do not terminate. Therefore, we design a slight variation of the weak-factor operator, called clean-factor, and prove that its associated series terminates for all input graphs. In addition, we show that the multipartite graph on which the series terminates has a very nice combinatorial structure: we exhibit a bijection between its vertices and the chains of the inclusion order on the intersections of the maximal cliques of the input graph

PUSH: A generalized operator for the Maximum Vertex Weight Clique Problem

The Maximum Vertex Weight Clique Problem (MVWCP) is an important generalization of the well-known NP-hard Maximum Clique Problem. In this paper, we introduce a generalized move operator called PUSH, which generalizes the conventional ADD and SWAP operators commonly used in the literature and can be integrated in a local search algorithm for MVWCP. The PUSH operator also offers opportunities to define new search operators by considering dedicated candidate push sets. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed operator, we implement two simple tabu search algorithms which use PUSH to explore different candidate push sets. The computational results on 142 benchmark instances from different sources (DIMACS, BHOSLIB, and Winner Determination Problem) indicate that these algorithms compete favorably with the leading MVWCP algorithms

Algebraic theory for the clique operator

In this text we attempt to unify many results about the K operator based on a new theory involving graphs, families and operators. We are able to build an "operator algebra" that helps to unify and automate arguments. In addition, we relate well-known properties, such as the Helly property, to the families and the operators. As a result, we deduce many classic results in clique graph theory from the basic fact that CS = I for conformal, reduced families. This includes Hamelink's construction, Roberts and Spencer theorem, and Bandelt and Prisner's partial characterization of clique-fixed classes [2]. Furthermore, we show the power of our approach proving general results that lead to polynomial recognition of certain graph classes.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Building Information Filtering Networks with Topological Constraints: Algorithms and Applications

We propose a new methodology for learning the structure of sparse networks from data; in doing so we adopt a dual perspective where we consider networks both as weighted graphs and as simplicial complexes. The proposed learning methodology belongs to the family of preferential attachment algorithms, where a network is extended by iteratively adding new vertices. In the conventional preferential attachment algorithm a new vertex is added to the network by adding a single edge to another existing vertex; in our approach a new vertex is added to a set of vertices by adding one or more new simplices to the simplicial complex. We propose the use of a score function to quantify the strength of the association between the new vertex and the attachment points. The methodology performs a greedy optimisation of the total score by selecting, at each step, the new vertex and the attachment points that maximise the gain in the score. Sparsity is enforced by restricting the space of the feasible configurations through the imposition of topological constraints on the candidate networks; the constraint is fulfilled by allowing only topological operations that are invariant with respect to the required property. For instance, if the topological constraint requires the constructed network to be be planar, then only planarity-invariant operations are allowed; if the constraint is that the network must be a clique forest, then only simplicial vertices can be added. At each step of the algorithm, the vertex to be added and the attachment points are those that provide the maximum increase in score while maintaining the topological constraints. As a concrete but general realisation we propose the clique forest as a possible topological structure for the representation of sparse networks, and we allow to specify further constraints such as the allowed range of clique sizes and the saturation of the attachment points. In this thesis we originally introduce the Maximally Filtered Clique Forest (MFCF) algorithm: the MFCF builds a clique forest by repeated application of a suitably invariant operation that we call Clique Expansion operator and adds vertices according to a strategy that greedily maximises the gain in a local score function. The gains produced by the Clique Expansion operator can be validated in a number of ways, including statistical testing, cross-validation or value thresholding. The algorithm does not prescribe a specific form for the gain function, but allows the use of any number of gain functions as long as they are consistent with the Clique Expansion operator. We describe several examples of gain functions suited to different problems. As a specific practical realisation we study the extraction of planar networks with the Triangulated Maximally Filtered Graph (TMFG). The TMFG, in its simplest form, is a specialised version of the MFCF, but it can be made more powerful by allowing the use of specialised planarity invariant operators that are not based on the Clique Expansion operator. We provide applications to two well known applied problems: the Maximum Weight Planar Subgraph Problem (MWPSP) and the Covariance Selection problem. With regards to the Covariance Selection problem we compare our results to the state of the art solution (the Graphical Lasso) and we highlight the benefits of our methodology. Finally, we study the geometry of clique trees as simplicial complexes and note how the statistics based on cliques and separators provides information equivalent to the one that can be achieved by means of homological methods, such as the analysis of Betti numbers, however with our approach being computationally more efficient and intuitively simpler. Finally, we use the geometric tools developed to provide a possible methodology for inferring the size of a dataset generated by a factor model. As an example we show that our tools provide a solution for inferring the size of a dataset generated by a factor model

The Impact of Stealthy Attacks on Smart Grid Performance: Tradeoffs and Implications

The smart grid is envisioned to significantly enhance the efficiency of energy consumption, by utilizing two-way communication channels between consumers and operators. For example, operators can opportunistically leverage the delay tolerance of energy demands in order to balance the energy load over time, and hence, reduce the total operational cost. This opportunity, however, comes with security threats, as the grid becomes more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. In this paper, we study the impact of such malicious cyber-attacks on the energy efficiency of the grid in a simplified setup. More precisely, we consider a simple model where the energy demands of the smart grid consumers are intercepted and altered by an active attacker before they arrive at the operator, who is equipped with limited intrusion detection capabilities. We formulate the resulting optimization problems faced by the operator and the attacker and propose several scheduling and attack strategies for both parties. Interestingly, our results show that, as opposed to facilitating cost reduction in the smart grid, increasing the delay tolerance of the energy demands potentially allows the attacker to force increased costs on the system. This highlights the need for carefully constructed and robust intrusion detection mechanisms at the operator.Comment: Technical report - this work was accepted to IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, 2016. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1209.176