Minimal paths between communities induced by geographical networks

TL;DR

This paper explores how betweenness centrality reveals characteristic paths connecting communities in geographical networks, providing insights into mesoscale connectivity and community interactions.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of characteristic betweenness paths and a new network model to analyze community connectivity in geographical networks.

Findings

High betweenness vertices define characteristic paths.

Paths connect entry and exit points of communities.

A new network model characterizes mesoscale connectivity.

Abstract

In this work we investigate the betweenness centrality in geographical networks and its relationship with network communities. We show that vertices with large betweenness define what we call characteristic betweenness paths in both modeled and real-world geographical networks. We define a geographical network model that possess a simple topology while still being able to present such betweenness paths. Using this model, we show that such paths represent pathways between entry and exit points of highly connected regions, or communities, of geographical networks. By defining a new network, containing information about community adjacencies in the original network, we describe a means to characterize the mesoscale connectivity provided by such characteristic betweenness paths.