Simplicial $q$-connectivity of directed graphs with applications to network analysis

Abstract

Directed graphs are ubiquitous models for networks, and topological spaces they generate, such as the directed flag complex, have become useful objects in applied topology. The simplices are formed from directed cliques. We extend Atkin's theory of q-connectivity to the case of directed simplices. This results in a preorder where simplices are related by sequences of simplices that share a q-face with respect to directions specified by chosen face maps. We leverage the Alexandroff equivalence between preorders and topological spaces to introduce a new class of topological spaces for directed graphs, enabling to assign new homotopy types different from those of directed flag complexes as seen by simplicial homology. We further introduce simplicial path analysis enabled by the connectivity preorders. As an application we characterise structural differences between various brain networks by computing their longest simplicial paths.