Network inference based on stochastic block models: model extensions, inference approaches and applications

Identifier:  TDX:2461

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2461

Authors:  Vallès Català, Toni

Abstract:
The study of real-world networks have pushed towards to the understanding of complex systems in a wide range of fields as molecular and cell biology, anatomy, neuroscience, ecology, economics and sociology. However, the available knowledge from most systems is still limited, hence network science predictive power should be enhanced to diminish the gap between knowledge and information. To address this topic we handle with the family of Stochastic Block Models (SBMs), a family of generative models that are gaining high interest recently due to its adaptability to any kind of network structure. The goal of this thesis is to develop novel SBM based inference approaches that will improve our understanding of complex networks. First, we investigate to what extent sampling over models significatively improves the predictive power than considering an optimal set of parameters alone. Once we know which model is capable to describe better a given network, we apply such method in a particular real world network case: a network based on the interactions/sutures between bones in newborn skulls. Notably, we discovered that sutures fused due to a pathological disease in human newborn were less likely, from a morphological point of view, that those sutures that fused under a normal development. Recent research on multilayer networks has concluded that the behavior of single-layered networks are different from those of multilayer ones; notwhithstanding, real world networks are presented to us as single-layered networks. The last part of the thesis is devoted to design a novel approach where two separate SBMs simultaneously describe a given single-layered network. We importantly find that it predicts better missing/spurious links that the single SBM approach.