Method and apparatus to identify outliers in social networks
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- reducing, by a processing system including a processor, a sampling size of a population of social network users of an on-line social network based on a comparison of seed information to the population of social network users to obtain a reduced population of social network users of the on-line social network;
sampling, by the processing system, the population of social network users to obtain first sampled social network users;
sampling, by the processing system, the reduced population of social network users utilizing a crawl algorithm to obtain second sampled social network users;
generating, by the processing system, a social network graph based on the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users, wherein the social network graph comprises an arrangement of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users based on relationships between members of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users arising in the on-line social network;
characterizing, by the processing system, a cluster of social network users within the reduced population of social network users; and
identifying, by the processing system, an outlier in the reduced population of social network users based on the characterizing of the cluster of social network users, wherein the outlier does not conform to the social network graph, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise current users and users being followed by the current users, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise inactive users of the on-line social network, wherein obtaining the seed information comprises receiving from a third party the seed information, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the processing system, the social network graph, and wherein the first sampled social network users comprise a substantially random sample of the population of social network users, and wherein the identifying of the outlier is based on an intra-graph property of the social network graph.
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Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a process that reduces a sampling size of a total population of on-line social network users based on a comparison of seed information to a population of on-line social network users. The reduced sampling of on-line social network users is compared to a social graph of the on-line social network users, wherein the social graph is obtained from an algorithm applied to the reduced sampling of the on-line social network users. An outlier is determined in the reduced sampling of on-line social network users based on a characterizing of a cluster of social network users. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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reducing, by a processing system including a processor, a sampling size of a population of social network users of an on-line social network based on a comparison of seed information to the population of social network users to obtain a reduced population of social network users of the on-line social network; sampling, by the processing system, the population of social network users to obtain first sampled social network users; sampling, by the processing system, the reduced population of social network users utilizing a crawl algorithm to obtain second sampled social network users; generating, by the processing system, a social network graph based on the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users, wherein the social network graph comprises an arrangement of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users based on relationships between members of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users arising in the on-line social network; characterizing, by the processing system, a cluster of social network users within the reduced population of social network users; and identifying, by the processing system, an outlier in the reduced population of social network users based on the characterizing of the cluster of social network users, wherein the outlier does not conform to the social network graph, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise current users and users being followed by the current users, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise inactive users of the on-line social network, wherein obtaining the seed information comprises receiving from a third party the seed information, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the processing system, the social network graph, and wherein the first sampled social network users comprise a substantially random sample of the population of social network users, and wherein the identifying of the outlier is based on an intra-graph property of the social network graph. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system, comprising:
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a memory that stores executable instructions; and a processing system including a processor coupled to the memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor facilitates performance of operations comprising; obtaining a reduced population of social network users of a population of social network users of an on-line social network based on a comparison of seed information to the population of social network users; sampling the reduced population of social network users to obtain first sampled social network users; sampling the reduced population of social network users utilizing a crawl algorithm to obtain second sampled social network users; generating a social graph based on the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users, wherein the social graph comprises an arrangement of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users based on relationships between members of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users arising in the on-line social network; characterizing a group of social network users within the first sampled social network users; and identifying an outlier in the first sampled social network users based on the characterizing of the group of social network users within the first sampled social network users, wherein the outlier does not conform to the social graph, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise current users and users being followed by the current users, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise inactive users of the on-line social network, wherein the seed information comprises third party seed information, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the social graph, wherein the first sampled social network users comprise a substantially random sample of the population of social network users, and wherein the identifying of the outlier is based on an intra-graph property of the social graph. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
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reducing a sampling size of a population of social network users of an on-line social network based on a comparison of seed information to the population of social network users to obtain a reduced population of social network users; sampling the reduced population of social network users utilizing a first algorithm to obtain first sampled social network users; sampling the reduced population of social network users utilizing a second algorithm to obtain second sampled social network users; generating a social graph based on the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users, wherein the social graph comprises an arrangement of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users based on relationships between members of the first sampled social network users and the second sampled social network users arising in the on-line social network; characterizing a group of social network users within the reduced population of social network users; and determining an outlier in the reduced population of social network users based on the characterizing of the reduced population of social network users, wherein the outlier does not conform to the social graph, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise current users and users being followed by the current users, wherein the second sampled social network users comprise inactive users of the on-line social network, wherein the seed information comprises third party seed information, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the social graph, wherein the first sampled social network users comprise a substantially random sample of the population of social network users, and wherein the second algorithm comprises a randomized walk algorithm, and wherein the determining of the outlier is based on an intra-graph property of the social graph. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification