Title
Exploring The Randomness Of Directed Acyclic Networks
Abstract
The feed-forward relationship naturally observed in time-dependent processes and in a diverse number of real systems-such as some food webs and electronic and neural wiring-can be described in terms of the so-called directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). An important ingredient of the analysis of such networks is a proper comparison of their observed architecture against an ensemble of randomized graphs, thereby quantifying the randomness of the real systems with respect to suitable null models. This approximation is particularly relevant when the finite size and/or large connectivity of real systems make inadequate a comparison with the predictions obtained from the so-called configuration model. In this paper we analyze two methods of DAG randomization as defined by the desired combination of two topological invariants (directed degree sequence and component distributions) aimed to be preserved. A highly ordered DAG, called snake graph, and an Erdos-Renyi DAG were used to validate the performance of the algorithms. Finally, three real case studies, namely, the C. elegans cell lineage network, a Ph.D. student-supervisor network, and the Milgram's citation network, were analyzed using each randomization method. Results show how the interpretation of degree-degree relations in DAGs with respect to their randomized ensembles depends on the topological invariants imposed.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1103/PhysRevE.82.066115
PHYSICAL REVIEW E
Keywords
Field
DocType
random models,graph randomization,complex networks,null models,directed acyclic graphs,feed forward,directed acyclic graph,random process,null model,complex network,degree sequence,random graph,food web
Discrete mathematics,Graph,Topological sorting,Topological invariants,Uniformization (probability theory),Directed acyclic graph,Theoretical computer science,Degree (graph theory),Real systems,Classical mechanics,Mathematics,Randomness
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
82
6
2470-0045
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
5
0.75
2
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Joaquín Goñi1898.99
Bernat Corominas-Murtra29510.86
Ricard V. Solé337747.63
Carlos Rodríguez-Caso4142.62