Force-directed graphs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016358353-A1
Application number	US-201615157946-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for graphing networks. In one embodiment, a dampening heuristic is utilized to graph networks to increase their stability. Nodes are visualized by finding local and global minima and equilibrium positions. Factors such as the influence of neighboring nodes; attraction and repulsion phases; and dynamism of complex networks are addressed by embodiments of the present invention. The stability of nodes are measured quantitatively using vectors, degree of influence of neighboring nodes on other nodes, and updating dampening heuristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer program product for visualizing elements of a graph of a set of at least two nodes, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising: responsive to combining a set of attractive forces and a set of repulsive forces of the set of at least two nodes, program instructions to generate a set of new node positions; program instructions to determine a position of the set of at least two nodes is based on a set of vectors of the set of at least two nodes, wherein each node is a common point to the set of vectors and is associated with an angle; program instructions to calculate a relative stability value of a first node of the set of at least two nodes based on a dampening heuristic, wherein the dampening heuristic is based on: a degree of nodes, any variations in vector magnitude due to non-resting states and to fluxional stability of the at least two nodes, and any changes in the set of attractive forces and the set of repulsive forces of the set of at least two nodes; program instructions to assess a position of the set of at least two nodes as either a global minimum, a local minimum, or an equilibrium; and program instructions to display the set of at least two nodes in the graph by linking at least two nodes from the set of new node positions with an edge, based, at least in part, on: the set of attractive forces and the set of repulsive forces, a distance, and the relative stability value determined to be above a threshold value.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Glover Raymond S

Classifications

• G06T11/26 Primary

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06T7/162

  involving graph-based methods · CPC title

• G06T2207/20072

  Graph-based image processing · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title

• G06T9/00

  Image coding (bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00) · CPC title