A survey on network node ranking algorithms: Representative methods, extensions, and applications

Abstract

The ranking of network node importance is one of the most essential problems in the field of network science. Node ranking algorithms serve as an essential part in many application scenarios such as search engine, social networks, and recommendation systems. This paper presents a systematic review on three representative methods: node ranking based on centralities, PageRank algorithm, and HITS algorithm. Furthermore, we investigate the latest extensions and improvements of these representative methods, provided with several main application fields. Inspired by the survey of current literatures, we attempt to propose promising directions for future research. The conclusions of this paper are enlightening and beneficial to both the academic and industrial communities.