Conductance Estimation in Digraphs: Submodular Transformation, Lovász Extension and Dinkelbach Iteration

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Shao, Sihong, Yang, Chuan, Ye, Xinyang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Shao, Sihong
Yang, Chuan
Ye, Xinyang
author_facet Shao, Sihong
Yang, Chuan
Ye, Xinyang
contents Conventional spectral digraph partitioning methods typically symmetrize the adjacency matrix, thereby transforming the directed graph partitioning problem into an undirected one, where bipartitioning is commonly linked to minimizing graph conductance. However, such symmetrization approaches disregard the directional dependencies of edges in digraphs, failing to capture the inherent imbalance crucial to directed network modeling. Building on the parallels between digraph conductance and conductance under submodular transformations, we develop a generalized framework to derive their continuous formulations. By leveraging properties of the Lovász extension, this framework addresses the fundamental asymmetry problem in digraph partitioning. We then formulate an equivalent fractional programming problem, relax it via a three-step Dinkelbach iteration procedure, and design the Directed Simple Iterative ($\mathbf{DSI}$) algorithm for estimating digraph conductance. The subproblem within $\mathbf{DSI}$ is analytically solvable, and the algorithm is guaranteed to converge provably to a binary local optimum. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real-world networks demonstrate that our $\mathbf{DSI}$ algorithm significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in digraph conductance minimization.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_23131
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Conductance Estimation in Digraphs: Submodular Transformation, Lovász Extension and Dinkelbach Iteration
Shao, Sihong
Yang, Chuan
Ye, Xinyang
Optimization and Control
05C20, 90C26, 90C27, 90C32, 90C30
Conventional spectral digraph partitioning methods typically symmetrize the adjacency matrix, thereby transforming the directed graph partitioning problem into an undirected one, where bipartitioning is commonly linked to minimizing graph conductance. However, such symmetrization approaches disregard the directional dependencies of edges in digraphs, failing to capture the inherent imbalance crucial to directed network modeling. Building on the parallels between digraph conductance and conductance under submodular transformations, we develop a generalized framework to derive their continuous formulations. By leveraging properties of the Lovász extension, this framework addresses the fundamental asymmetry problem in digraph partitioning. We then formulate an equivalent fractional programming problem, relax it via a three-step Dinkelbach iteration procedure, and design the Directed Simple Iterative ($\mathbf{DSI}$) algorithm for estimating digraph conductance. The subproblem within $\mathbf{DSI}$ is analytically solvable, and the algorithm is guaranteed to converge provably to a binary local optimum. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real-world networks demonstrate that our $\mathbf{DSI}$ algorithm significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in digraph conductance minimization.
title Conductance Estimation in Digraphs: Submodular Transformation, Lovász Extension and Dinkelbach Iteration
topic Optimization and Control
05C20, 90C26, 90C27, 90C32, 90C30
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.23131