ZigzagNetVis: Suggesting Temporal Resolutions for Graph Visualization Using Zigzag Persistence

Area of Science:

• Graph theory
• Topological Data Analysis (TDA)
• Information Visualization

Background:

• Temporal graphs model dynamic systems, but analysis is hindered by challenges in selecting appropriate temporal resolution.
• Visually analyzing temporal graphs is key for identifying trends and anomalies, yet choosing the right resolution, especially for sparse data, remains difficult.
• Timeslicing, grouping events over time, can reveal patterns but requires careful selection of temporal resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose ZigzagNetVis, a novel methodology for suggesting relevant temporal resolutions for temporal graph analysis.
• To enhance the visual analysis of temporal graphs by introducing a new timeline-based visualization technique.
• To develop and evaluate a web-based system prototype implementing the proposed methodology and visualization tools.

Main Methods:

• Leveraging zigzag persistent homology, a technique from Topological Data Analysis (TDA), to identify resolutions causing significant topological changes.
• Incorporating the colored barcode, a novel visualization inspired by persistence barcodes, for timeline-based graph analysis.
• Developing a web-based system prototype to demonstrate the ZigzagNetVis methodology and its visualization capabilities.

Main Results:

• ZigzagNetVis effectively suggests temporal resolutions that highlight substantial topological shifts in graph structures.
• The colored barcode visualization provides an intuitive way to explore temporal graph patterns.
• A user study with 27 participants and quantitative evaluations confirmed the usefulness and effectiveness of ZigzagNetVis.

Conclusions:

• ZigzagNetVis offers a robust approach to determining optimal temporal resolutions for analyzing temporal graphs.
• The proposed methodology and visualization tools significantly improve the process of visual graph analysis, particularly for sparse temporal data.
• The developed system prototype demonstrates practical applicability and validates the effectiveness of ZigzagNetVis in real-world scenarios.