interactionedges

Interactionedges are graph edges whose primary role is to represent interactions between nodes rather than merely indicating a connection. In network science, an interactionedge typically includes attributes that describe the nature, strength, and context of an interaction, such as type (communication, collaboration, chemical binding), weight (frequency or intensity), timestamp, and confidence.

Edges can be directed or undirected and may be weighted, sign-tagged (positive or negative interactions), and time-varying to capture dynamics. A time-resolved or temporal network can be formed by recording interactionedges with time stamps, enabling analysis of how interactions emerge, persist, or fade.

Construction and representation: given a set of entities V, interactionedges are a subset of E ⊆ V×V with associated attribute dictionaries. They can be derived from event logs, proximity data, co-occurrence in text or observations, binding assays, or transaction records. In some cases, interactionedges complement structural edges that denote static affiliation or support.

Analysis: measures focus on interaction strength, frequency, duration, and patterning, including edge-centric centrality, motif analysis, or dynamic community detection. Modeling often requires handling sparsity, temporal alignment, and noise, and may incorporate multi-layer or multiplex representations to distinguish interaction types.

Applications span social networks (communications and influence), biological networks (protein-protein or gene regulatory interactions), ecological networks (predation and symbiosis), and economic or information networks. The concept emphasizes that the edge conveys meaningful, often processual information about how entities interact, beyond mere adjacency.