NoSingles: a space-efficient algorithm for influence maximization

Diana Popova, Naoto Ohsaka, Ken-ichi Kawarabayashi, Alex Thomo

Abstract: Algorithmic problems of computing influence estimation and influence maximization have been actively researched for decades. We developed a novel algorithm, NoSingles, based on the Reverse Influence Sampling method proposed by Borgs et al. in 2013. NoSingles solves the problem of influence maximization in large graphs using much smaller space than the existing state-of-the-art algorithms while preserving the theoretical guarantee of the approximation of (1 - 1/e - ϵ) of the optimum, for any ϵ > 0. The NoSingles data structure is saved on the hard drive of the machine, and can be used repeatedly for playing out "what if" scenarios (e.g. trying different combination of seeds and calculating the influence spread). We also introduce a variation of NoSingles algorithm, which further decreases the running time, while preserving the approximation guarantee. We support our claims with extensive experiments on large real-world graphs. Savings in required space allow to successfully run NoSingles on a consumer-grade laptop for graphs with tens of millions of vertices and hundreds of millions of edges.