NPAP: Network Partitioning and Aggregation Package for Python

TL;DR

NPAP is an open-source Python library built on NetworkX that simplifies network graph reduction through customizable partitioning and aggregation strategies, applicable across various domains.

Contribution

It introduces a modular, flexible architecture for network reduction with multiple strategies, enhancing usability and extensibility for diverse applications.

Findings

Provides 13 partitioning strategies and 2 aggregation profiles.

Designed for easy integration with other software and frameworks.

Initially focused on power systems but applicable to any network graph.

Abstract

NPAP (Network Partitioning and Aggregation Package) is an open-source Python library for reducing the spatial complexity of network graphs. Built on NetworkX, it provides an accessible standalone package designed to be readily integrated with other software and frameworks. Instead of treating the spatial reduction process as a single action, NPAP explicitly splits it into two distinct steps: partitioning, which assigns vertices (nodes) to groups (clusters), and aggregation, which reduces the network based on a given assignment. NPAP's strategy pattern architecture allows users to employ and register custom partitioning and aggregation strategies seamlessly without modifying the core code. Currently, NPAP provides 13 different partitioning strategies and two pre-defined aggregation profiles. Although initially developed with a focus on power systems, its architecture is general-purpose and applicable to any network graph.