A low complexity visualisation tool that helps to perform Complex Systems analysis

MARIANO G. BEIRÓ, JOSÉ IGNACIO ALVAREZ-HAMELIN AND JOREGE R. BUSCH

NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS

Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2008 vol. 10 p. 125003 - 125003

1367-2630

In this paper we present an extension of LaNet-vi, a tool to visualise large scale networks using the k-core decomposition. One of the new features is how vertices compute their angular position. Whilst in the later version it is done using shell clusters, in this version we use the angular coordinate of vertices in higher k-shells, and arrange the highest shell according to a cliques decomposition. The time complexity goes from O(n*sqrt(n)) to O(n) upon bounds on a heavy-tailed degree distribution.  The tool also performs a k-core-connectivity analysis, highlighting vertices that are not k-connected; e.g., this property is useful to measure robustness or QoS capabilities in communication networks. Finally, the actual version of LaNet-vi can draw labels and all the edges using transparencies, yielding an accurate visualisation. Based on the obtained figure, it is possible to distinguish different sources and types of complex networks at a glance, in a sort of `network iris-print´.