Visual Analytics Using Graph Sampling and Summarization on Multitouch Displays

Private industry datasets and public records contain more information than any algorithm can efficiently process or any person can reasonably interpret. This is a basic problem faced by researchers in visual analytics. Graph visualizations (a common large dataset representation) can organize relationships and entities in a visually accessible manner. Our work applies graph sampling and summarization to the interactive visualization of complex networks. We implemented several unbiased sampling techniques to facilitate large scale graph analysis. Moreover, we show biased sampling techniques can improve visualization by emphasizing key graph nodes. We combine algorithmic processing with human interpretations by allowing users to adjust sampling parameters, inspect sample graph visualizations, and compare sample distributions. Summarization also reduces graph complexity. By adjusting rendered graph density, users can navigate and maintain constant on-screen density.