Using an Evaluator Fixed Structure Learning Automata in Sampling of Social Networks

Social networks are streaming, diverse and include a wide range of edges so that continuously evolves over time and formed by the activities among users (such as tweets, emails, etc.), where each activity among its users, adds an edge to the network graph. Despite their popularities, the dynamicity and large size of most social networks make it difficult or impossible to study the entire network. This paper proposes a sampling algorithm that equipped with an evaluator unit for analyzing the edges and a set of simple fixed structure learning automata. Evaluator unit evaluates each edge and then decides whether edge and corresponding node should be added to the sample set. In The proposed algorithm, each main activity graph node is equipped with a simple learning automaton. The proposed algorithm is compared with the best current sampling algorithm that was reported in the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS) and normalized L1 and L2 distances in real networks and synthetic networks presented as a sequence of edges. Experimental results show the superiority of the proposed algorithm.