How Embeddings Shape Graph Neural Networks: Classical vs Quantum-Oriented Node Representations

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Innan, Nouhaila, Rosato, Antonello, Marchisio, Alberto, Shafique, Muhammad
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Innan, Nouhaila
Rosato, Antonello
Marchisio, Alberto
Shafique, Muhammad
author_facet Innan, Nouhaila
Rosato, Antonello
Marchisio, Alberto
Shafique, Muhammad
contents Node embeddings act as the information interface for graph neural networks, yet their empirical impact is often reported under mismatched backbones, splits, and training budgets. This paper provides a controlled benchmark of embedding choices for graph classification, comparing classical baselines with quantum-oriented node representations under a unified pipeline. We evaluate two classical baselines alongside quantum-oriented alternatives, including a circuit-defined variational embedding and quantum-inspired embeddings computed via graph operators and linear-algebraic constructions. All variants are trained and tested with the same backbone, stratified splits, identical optimization and early stopping, and consistent metrics. Experiments on five different TU datasets and on QM9 converted to classification via target binning show clear dataset dependence: quantum-oriented embeddings yield the most consistent gains on structure-driven benchmarks, while social graphs with limited node attributes remain well served by classical baselines. The study highlights practical trade-offs between inductive bias, trainability, and stability under a fixed training budget, and offers a reproducible reference point for selecting quantum-oriented embeddings in graph learning.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_15273
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle How Embeddings Shape Graph Neural Networks: Classical vs Quantum-Oriented Node Representations
Innan, Nouhaila
Rosato, Antonello
Marchisio, Alberto
Shafique, Muhammad
Machine Learning
Quantum Physics
Node embeddings act as the information interface for graph neural networks, yet their empirical impact is often reported under mismatched backbones, splits, and training budgets. This paper provides a controlled benchmark of embedding choices for graph classification, comparing classical baselines with quantum-oriented node representations under a unified pipeline. We evaluate two classical baselines alongside quantum-oriented alternatives, including a circuit-defined variational embedding and quantum-inspired embeddings computed via graph operators and linear-algebraic constructions. All variants are trained and tested with the same backbone, stratified splits, identical optimization and early stopping, and consistent metrics. Experiments on five different TU datasets and on QM9 converted to classification via target binning show clear dataset dependence: quantum-oriented embeddings yield the most consistent gains on structure-driven benchmarks, while social graphs with limited node attributes remain well served by classical baselines. The study highlights practical trade-offs between inductive bias, trainability, and stability under a fixed training budget, and offers a reproducible reference point for selecting quantum-oriented embeddings in graph learning.
title How Embeddings Shape Graph Neural Networks: Classical vs Quantum-Oriented Node Representations
topic Machine Learning
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15273