A Spectral Decomposition Heuristic for Near Optimal Capture Sets In Consensus Models

dc.contributor.advisorHicks, Illya V
dc.creatorMikesell, Derek Justin
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-31T15:48:11Z
dc.date.available2017-07-31T15:48:11Z
dc.date.created2016-12
dc.date.issued2016-08-31
dc.date.submittedDecember 2016
dc.date.updated2017-07-31T15:48:11Z
dc.description.abstractGiven a network G=(V,E), consider the problem of selecting a subset of nodes, A, of a fixed size, k, such that the sum expected walk length from V to A, or hitting time, is minimized. This study is motivated by modeling communication models as a random walk on a weighted loopless directed graph where the desired information is observed when a random walk reaches the chosen set. The origin of this problem is found in the study of how information or ``consensus" flows through a network, introduced by Borkar et al. in 2010. In general, this problem is NP-hard and as a result problems posed on large networks become quickly infeasible. The objective function of interest F(A) is supermodular and therefore, a greedy technique provides a ( 1 - 1/e) approximation to the optimal solution. While the greedy technique provides a guaranteed approximation it comes at the cost of being O(k n^4). This work develops the Spectral Decomposition heuristic for this problem based on spectral clustering. In general, this reduces the model to O(n^4/k^3). Analysis of this technique is completed on the Stochastic Block Model, and under the appropriate assumptions the method reduces to O(n^2.5). This approach is compared to previous approaches, including the greedy method, centrality measures, and more recent near-optimal subset techniques. The Spectral Decomposition heuristic greatly improves on the run-time of the greedy and near-optimal subset method, while maintaining quality of approximation. While the method cannot compete with the complexity of the centrality measures, frequently it greatly outperforms the approximation. Optimality is observed through two metrics; the value of the objective function and the value of the Perron-Frobenius eigenvalue of the Markov submatrix resulting from the capture set. Multiple examples illustrate the method and larger than prior networks are explored.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationMikesell, Derek Justin. "A Spectral Decomposition Heuristic for Near Optimal Capture Sets In Consensus Models." (2016) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/95559">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/95559</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/95559
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectGraph Theory
dc.subjectHitting Set
dc.subjectConsensus Model
dc.subjectSpectral
dc.subjectClustering
dc.titleA Spectral Decomposition Heuristic for Near Optimal Capture Sets In Consensus Models
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentComputational and Applied Mathematics
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
MIKESELL-DOCUMENT-2016.pdf
Size:
1.6 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt
Size:
5.84 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
LICENSE.txt
Size:
2.61 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description: