Combining hierarchy and energy for drawing directed graphs
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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
Published on: January 19, 2019
Liran Carmel1, David Harel, Yehuda Koren
1Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. liran@wisdom.weizmann.ac.il
Abstract:
We present an algorithm for drawing directed graphs which is based on rapidly solving a unique one-dimensional optimization problem for each of the axes. The algorithm results in a clear description of the hierarchy structure of the graph. Nodes are not restricted to lie on fixed horizontal layers, resulting in layouts that convey the symmetries of the graph very naturally. The algorithm can be applied without change to cyclic or acyclic digraphs and even to graphs containing both directed and undirected edges. We also derive a hierarchy index from the input digraph, which quantitatively measures its amount of hierarchy.
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