Compressing Temporal Networks While Preserving Epidemic Dynamics

Core Concepts

Compressing the chronology of a temporal network while preserving the underlying epidemic dynamics by quantifying the error induced by aggregating consecutive network snapshots.

Abstract

The content discusses a method to compress the chronology of a temporal network while preserving the underlying epidemic dynamics. The key points are:

Temporal interaction data is often represented as a series of "snapshots" - static networks active for short durations of time. Aggregating these snapshots can reduce analytical complexity, but it is nontrivial to determine when and how to do so without losing critical information about the dynamics.

The authors propose a method to compress network chronologies by progressively combining pairs of snapshots whose matrix commutators have the smallest dynamical effect on an epidemic spreading model. This quantifies the importance of chronology by considering its effects on the dynamics.

The method involves linearizing the susceptible-infected (SI) epidemic model and using the matrix commutator between consecutive snapshots as a measure of the error induced by aggregation. This error is used to greedily combine snapshots while preserving changes that significantly affect the dynamical process.

The authors apply this method to synthetic networks and real contact tracing data, showing that it can achieve significant compression while remaining faithful to the epidemic dynamics, outperforming even-width aggregation and an information-theoretic compression approach.

The error measure and compression algorithm have several potential applications, including bounding the accuracy of dynamics on temporal networks, compressing large temporal network datasets, estimating the quality of data collection, and comparing the structure of different networks.

Stats

The content does not provide specific numerical data or statistics. The key figures and equations are:

Eq. (2): Linearized SI model dynamics
Eq. (3): Time-ordered exponential solution for SI dynamics on a series of snapshots
Eq. (6): Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula for aggregating snapshots
Eq. (7) and (8): Error measures for aggregating snapshots
Eq. (9): Combined error measure used in the compression algorithm

Quotes

The content does not contain any direct quotes that are particularly striking or supportive of the key arguments.

Key Insights Distilled From

Compressing the chronology of a temporal network with graph commutators

by Andr... at arxiv.org 04-02-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2205.11566.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

Question 1

To extend the compression algorithm to handle more complex dynamical processes like SIR or SEIR epidemic models, we would need to adapt the error measure and aggregation method to capture the nuances of these models. For SIR models, we would consider the transitions between susceptible, infected, and recovered states, while for SEIR models, we would also include an exposed state. The error measure would need to account for the impact of aggregating snapshots on these additional states and transitions. The aggregation method would then involve combining snapshots based on the sensitivity of these states and transitions to maintain the dynamics accurately. By incorporating the specific dynamics of SIR or SEIR models into the error measure and aggregation process, the algorithm can effectively compress temporal networks representing these more complex epidemic models.

Question 2

The limitations of the greedy approach in the compression algorithm primarily stem from its tendency to get stuck in suboptimal compression sequences. To improve this, we could introduce a more sophisticated optimization strategy, such as a heuristic search algorithm like simulated annealing or genetic algorithms. These methods could explore a broader range of aggregation possibilities and avoid local optima. Additionally, incorporating a backtracking mechanism that allows the algorithm to backtrack and explore alternative compression paths when necessary could enhance its efficiency. By implementing these enhancements, the algorithm could overcome the limitations of the greedy approach and find more optimal compression sequences.

Question 3

The error measure developed in this work can indeed be applied to compare the structural differences between any two networks, not limited to consecutive snapshots in a temporal network. By calculating the error induced by aggregating different network structures, the measure provides a quantitative assessment of the impact of structural differences on dynamical processes. This can be extended to compare any two networks by computing the error between their adjacency matrices or representations. The measure offers a valuable tool for network comparison, allowing researchers to evaluate the similarity or dissimilarity between networks supporting the same dynamics. By applying this error measure to compare structural differences, insights into the network's behavior and dynamics can be gained beyond temporal network compression.