Smart random walkers: The cost of knowing the path
Abstract
In this work we study the problem of targeting signals in networks using entropy information measurements to quantify the cost of targeting. We introduce a penalization rule that imposes a restriction on the long paths and therefore focuses the signal to the target. By this scheme we go continuously from fully random walkers to walkers biased to the target. We found that the optimal degree of penalization is mainly determined by the topology of the network. By analyzing several examples, we have found that a small amount of penalization reduces considerably the typical walk length, and from this we conclude that a network can be efficiently navigated with restricted information.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review E
- Pub Date:
- July 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.011120
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1202.5568
- Bibcode:
- 2012PhRvE..86a1120P
- Keywords:
-
- 05.40.Fb;
- 89.70.Hj;
- 89.70.Cf;
- Random walks and Levy flights;
- Communication complexity;
- Entropy and other measures of information;
- Condensed Matter - Statistical Mechanics;
- Condensed Matter - Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
- E-Print:
- 9 pages, 11 figures