centrality_ninl: Node and Neighbor Layer Information centrality

In cograph: Analysis and Visualization of Complex Networks

Node and Neighbor Layer Information centrality

Description

Zhu and Wang's NINL initializes each node with the sum of original-graph degrees in its closed radius-r neighborhood. The paper sets r to the ceiling of the graph's average shortest-path length. Each iteration then replaces every node's score by the sum of its neighbors' previous scores: NINL-p = A^p NINL-0. The paper uses p = 3; zero iterations returns the initial degree volume. Repeated vertices and edges in these walks count.

Usage

centrality_ninl(x, ninl_order = 3, ninl_radius = NULL, ...)

Arguments

x	Network input accepted by centrality.
ninl_order	Nonnegative integer iteration count, default 3. At most 2^53 - 1, the consecutive-integer precision of doubles.
ninl_radius	NULL for the source-defined automatic radius, or a nonnegative integer hop radius, or Inf for all reachable nodes. Radius zero uses the focal node's degree alone.
...	Additional arguments to centrality. normalized = TRUE divides by the maximum score; all-zero scores remain zero. Normalization is optional and is not part of the raw definition in the original paper.

Details

Uses simple undirected unweighted topology: either arc creates an edge; loops and parallel edges are removed. Weights, mode, inversion and cutoff are ignored. This does not claim a directed or weighted NINL definition.

The mean path length includes all distinct vertex pairs. For disconnected graphs it is infinite, so the automatic radius includes every reachable node in each component. This is an explicit cograph extension of the paper's connected example; unreachable nodes never enter the degree sum. Isolates score zero and empty graphs return no scores. A supplied radius is an explicit generalization of the paper's automatic-radius rule.

Stepwise propagation evaluates the requested finite iteration count, without assuming convergence to eigenvector centrality. Exact repeated floating-point states of period one or two allow the remaining iterations to be skipped while preserving parity. No tolerance-based convergence cutoff is used. Normalized scores can alternate on bipartite graphs. Dense distance calculation and propagation take O(n cubed + p n squared) time and O(n squared) memory; very large orders can be slow if no exact repeated state occurs. Raw overflow raises an error. With maximum normalization, global rescaling after every step avoids overflow; extremely small relative scores can still underflow in double precision.

Value

Named numeric vector in input node order.

References

Zhu, J. and Wang, L. (2021). Identifying Influential Nodes in Complex Networks Based on Node Itself and Neighbor Layer Information. Symmetry, 13, 1570. \Sexpr[results=rd]{tools:::Rd_expr_doi("10.3390/sym13091570")}.

Examples

centrality_ninl(igraph::make_graph("Zachary"))
centrality_ninl(igraph::make_star(5, mode = "undirected"), ninl_order = 2)

cograph documentation built on Sept. 30, 2026, 5:08 p.m.