A New Methodology for Generalizing Unweighted Network Measures

Several important complex network measures that helped discovering common patterns across real-world networks ignore edge weights, an important information in real-world networks. We propose a new methodology for generalizing measures of unweighted networks through a generalization of the cardinality concept of a set of weights. The key observation here is that many measures of unweighted networks use the cardinality (the size) of some subset of edges in their computation. For example, the node degree is the number of edges incident to a node. We define the effective cardinality, a new metric that quantifies how many edges are effectively being used, assuming that an edge's weight reflects the amount of interaction across that edge. We prove that a generalized measure, using our method, reduces to the original unweighted measure if there is no disparity between weights, which ensures that the laws that govern the original unweighted measure will also govern the generalized measure when the weights are equal. We also prove that our generalization ensures a partial ordering (among sets of weighted edges) that is consistent with the original unweighted measure, unlike previously developed generalizations. We illustrate the applicability of our method by generalizing four unweighted network measures. As a case study, we analyze four real-world weighted networks using our generalized degree and clustering coefficient. The analysis shows that the generalized degree distribution is consistent with the power-law hypothesis but with steeper decline and that there is a common pattern governing the ratio between the generalized degree and the traditional degree. The analysis also shows that nodes with more uniform weights tend to cluster with nodes that also have more uniform weights among themselves.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure

Commission asks for UNPROFOR\u27s Help Excavating Ovcara

In this letter to UNPROFOR\u27s Bijegovic, Opsahl seeks to sort out administrative details with UNPROFOR so the commission can begin excavating the Ovcara mass grave.https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/documents_780/1045/thumbnail.jp

Seeds Buffering for Information Spreading Processes

Seeding strategies for influence maximization in social networks have been studied for more than a decade. They have mainly relied on the activation of all resources (seeds) simultaneously in the beginning; yet, it has been shown that sequential seeding strategies are commonly better. This research focuses on studying sequential seeding with buffering, which is an extension to basic sequential seeding concept. The proposed method avoids choosing nodes that will be activated through the natural diffusion process, which is leading to better use of the budget for activating seed nodes in the social influence process. This approach was compared with sequential seeding without buffering and single stage seeding. The results on both real and artificial social networks confirm that the buffer-based consecutive seeding is a good trade-off between the final coverage and the time to reach it. It performs significantly better than its rivals for a fixed budget. The gain is obtained by dynamic rankings and the ability to detect network areas with nodes that are not yet activated and have high potential of activating their neighbours.Comment: Jankowski, J., Br\'odka, P., Michalski, R., & Kazienko, P. (2017, September). Seeds Buffering for Information Spreading Processes. In International Conference on Social Informatics (pp. 628-641). Springe

Utah State Gets Feet Wet in New World of Free Online Courses

Utah State University professor and department head Larry Walther compares his decision to teaching a new online course this coming semester to that of an explorer.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1143/thumbnail.jp

USU Announces Nike Executive Will Speak at Commencement

The man in charge of all branding for Nike Inc. will be the commencement speaker for Utah State University’s 126th graduation ceremony, the university announced Tuesday.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1098/thumbnail.jp

USU Teams Win at National IT Competition

Two teams at Utah State University’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business took top places in an information technology competition that pitted them against colleges and universities from around the world.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1126/thumbnail.jp

USU Alumnus Reacts to Winning Nobel Prize in Economics

Editor\u27s note: Alum Dr. Lars Peter Hansen, \u2774, who studied mathematics, political science, and economics, at USU was named as this year\u27s Nobel Laureate in Economics. Now a professor at the University of Chicago, Hansen shares the award with two other eminent economists, Eugene Fama, also of Chicago, and Robert Shiller, of Yale. This Herald Journal clip is just one of many stories that ran about Dr. Hansen online and in print publications across the country.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1161/thumbnail.jp

Student Leader Inks Petition

The Utah State University student body president has signed a petition along with more than 100 other student presidents across the country and will travel to Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to avoid the looming hike in student loan interest rates.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/huntsman_news/1133/thumbnail.jp