Influence maximization (IM) in complex networks with limited visibility using statistical methods

This article delves into the analysis and identification of influential individuals within social networks, a fundamental issue in the realm of social network science and complex network analysis. Within social networks, the impact of individuals on information propagation, shaping beliefs, and influencing the behavior of others is of paramount importance. Most of the current methods are based on the assumption that the entire graph is visible. However, this assumption does not hold for many real-world graphs. This study is conducted to extend current maximization methods, with link prediction techniques to pseudo-visibility graphs. The proposed method in this paper leverages graph models and influence algorithms to identify and select influential individuals within a social network. It begins by employing graph models to predict connections within the network and subsequently employs influence algorithms to opt for the most suitable individuals for exerting influence within the network. The primary advantage of this approach lies in its capability to enhance communication and influence within social networks with minimal observation. This method aids in a better understanding of the network's structure and the behaviors of its members, ultimately facilitating more effective information dissemination. In this study, we implemented five concepts for influence maximization in the context of the proposed method. Our results indicate that the algorithms perform best when considering lower diffusion coefficients. This suggests that focusing on lower diffusion coefficients allows the algorithm to demonstrate its superiority. Additionally, our findings reveal a notable consistency in results across various graph removal scenarios, highlighting a key advantage of our proposed approach on real-world graphs.