Communities as Well Separated Subgraphs With Cohesive Cores: Identification of Core-Periphery Structures in Link Communities

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel approach to community detection in networks by defining communities as well-separated subgraphs with cohesive cores and peripheral regions, specifically applied to link communities.

Contribution

It proposes a new algorithm for constructing hierarchical core-periphery structures in link communities, separating cohesion and separation criteria.

Findings

Initial test results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The approach allows for hierarchical organization of link communities.

It provides a new perspective on community structure by emphasizing core-periphery distinctions.

Abstract

Communities in networks are commonly considered as highly cohesive subgraphs which are well separated from the rest of the network. However, cohesion and separation often cannot be maximized at the same time, which is why a compromise is sought by some methods. When a compromise is not suitable for the problem to be solved it might be advantageous to separate the two criteria. In this paper, we explore such an approach by defining communities as well separated subgraphs which can have one or more cohesive cores surrounded by peripheries. We apply this idea to link communities and present an algorithm for constructing hierarchical core-periphery structures in link communities and first test results.