Determining the importance of data items and their characteristics using centrality measures

A computer implemented method for determining the importance of a data item in an electronic network, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a directed node graph,
• wherein said directed node graph is a representation of at least two data items with at least one relationship between said at least two data items,
• wherein said at least two data items are represented by nodes on said directed node graph, and
• wherein said at least one relationship is represented by at least one edge between said nodes;
• building an approximation of a directed line graph of said directed node graph by decomposing said directed line graph into sparse matrixes;
• calculating stationary probabilities of edges in said decomposed directed line graph using said sparse matrixes, wherein said edges are incident edges associated with at least one node of said directed node graph;
• and
• calculating a summation of said stationary probabilities of said incident edges associated with said at least one node of said directed node graph, wherein said summation demonstrates the importance of a data item represented by said at least one node,
• wherein at least one step is carried out using a computer device.

A computer implemented data assessment system for determining the importance of a data item, said system comprising:

• at least one memory element storing the system;
• at least one processor coupled to the memory element;
• wherein the processor executes the following units of the system:
• an input receiving unit configured to receive a node graph,
• wherein said node graph is a representation of at least two data items with at least one relationship between said at least two data items,
• wherein said at least two data items are represented by nodes on said node graph,
• wherein said at least one relationship is represented by at least one edge between said nodes;
• an approximating unit configured to approximate a number of neighbor nodes of at least one node of said node graph;
• and
• a calculating unit configured to calculate an average shortest path length from said at least one node to remaining nodes contained in said node graph using said approximated number of neighbor nodes, wherein said calculated average shortest path demonstrates the importance of a data item represented by said at least one node.

A computer implemented data assessment system for determining the importance of a data item, said system comprising:

• at least one memory element storing the system;
• at least one processor coupled to the memory element;
• wherein the processor executes the following units of the system:
• an input receiving unit configured to receive a directed node graph,
• wherein said directed node graph is a representation of at least two data items with at least one relationship between said at least two data items,
• wherein said at least two data items are represented by nodes on said directed node graph,
• wherein said at least one relationship is represented by at least one edge between said nodes;
• a building unit configured to build an approximation of a directed line graph of said directed node graph by decomposing said directed line graph into sparse matrixes;
• a calculating a stationary probability unit configured to compute stationary probabilities of edges in said decomposed directed line graph using said sparse matrices, wherein said edges are incident edges associated with at least one node of said directed node graph;
• and
• a calculating a summation unit configured to compute a summation of said stationary probabilities of said incident edges associated with said at least one node of said directed node graph, wherein said summation demonstrates the importance of a data item represented by said at least one node.