Maximum likelihood: extracting unbiased information from complex networks

dc.creatorGarlaschelli, Diego
dc.creatorLoffredo, Maria I.
dc.date2006-09-01
dc.date2008-08-07
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T09:55:05Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T09:55:05Z
dc.descriptionThe choice of free parameters in network models is subjective, since it depends on what topological properties are being monitored. However, we show that the Maximum Likelihood (ML) principle indicates a unique, statistically rigorous parameter choice, associated to a well defined topological feature. We then find that, if the ML condition is incompatible with the built-in parameter choice, network models turn out to be intrinsically ill-defined or biased. To overcome this problem, we construct a class of safely unbiased models. We also propose an extension of these results that leads to the fascinating possibility to extract, only from topological data, the `hidden variables' underlying network organization, making them `no more hidden'. We test our method on the World Trade Web data, where we recover the empirical Gross Domestic Product using only topological information.
dc.descriptionFinal version accepted for publication
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0609015
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0609015
dc.identifierPhys. Rev. E 78, 015101(R) (2008)
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevE.78.015101
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/166551
dc.subjectDisordered Systems and Neural Networks
dc.subjectStatistical Mechanics
dc.subjectData Analysis, Statistics and Probability
dc.subjectPhysics and Society
dc.titleMaximum likelihood: extracting unbiased information from complex networks
dc.typetext

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