Network analysis

Abstract: Network embedding is an important method to learn low-dimensional representations of vertexes in networks, aiming to capture and preserve the network structure. Almost all the existing network embedding methods adopt shallow models. However, since the underlying network structure is complex, shallow models cannot capture the highly non-linear network structure, resulting in sub-optimal network representations. Therefore, how to find a method that is able to effectively capture the highly non-linear network structure and preserve the global and local structure is an open yet important problem. To solve this problem, in this paper we propose a Structural Deep Network Embedding method, namely SDNE. More specifically, we first propose a semi-supervised deep model, which has multiple layers of non-linear functions, thereby being able to capture the highly non-linear network structure. Then we propose to exploit the first-order and second-order proximity jointly to preserve the network structure. The second-order proximity is used by the unsupervised component to capture the global network structure. While the first-order proximity is used as the supervised information in the supervised component to preserve the local network structure. By jointly optimizing them in the semi-supervised deep model, our method can preserve both the local and global network structure and is robust to sparse networks. Empirically, we conduct the experiments on five real-world networks, including a language network, a citation network and three social networks. The results show that compared to the baselines, our method can reconstruct the original network significantly better and achieves substantial gains in three applications, i.e. multi-label classification, link prediction and visualization.

Abstract: We describe how several optimization problems can be rapidly solved by highly interconnected networks of simple analog processors. Analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion was considered as a simple optimization problem, and an A/D converter of novel architecture was designed. A/D conversion is a simple example of a more general class of signal-decision problems which we show could also be solved by appropriately constructed networks. Circuits to solve these problems were designed using general principles which result from an understanding of the basic collective computational properties of a specific class of analog-processor networks. We also show that a network which solves linear programming problems can be understood from the same concepts.

Abstract: Network meta-analysis synthesizes direct and indirect evidence in a network of trials that compare multiple interventions and has the potential to rank the competing treatments according to the studied outcome. Despite its usefulness network meta-analysis is often criticized for its complexity and for being accessible only to researchers with strong statistical and computational skills. The evaluation of the underlying model assumptions, the statistical technicalities and presentation of the results in a concise and understandable way are all challenging aspects in the network meta-analysis methodology. In this paper we aim to make the methodology accessible to non-statisticians by presenting and explaining a series of graphical tools via worked examples. To this end, we provide a set of STATA routines that can be easily employed to present the evidence base, evaluate the assumptions, fit the network meta-analysis model and interpret its results.

Abstract: We present the Koblenz Network Collection (KONECT), a project to collect network datasets in the areas of web science, network science and related areas, as well as provide tools for their analysis. In the cited areas, a surprisingly large number of very heterogeneous data can be modeled as networks and consequently, a unified representation of networks can be used to gain insight into many kinds of problems. Due to the emergence of the World Wide Web in the last decades many such datasets are now openly available. The KONECT project thus has the goal of collecting many diverse network datasets from the Web, and providing a way for their systematic study. The main parts of KONECT are (1) a collection of over 160 network datasets, consisting of directed, undirected, unipartite, bipartite, weighted, unweighted, signed and temporal networks collected from the Web, (2) a Matlab toolbox for network analysis and (3) a website giving a compact overview the various computed statistics and plots. In this paper, we describe KONECT's taxonomy of networks datasets, give an overview of the datasets included, review the supported statistics and plots, and briefly discuss KONECT's role in the area of web science and network science.