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Link Prediction in Complex Networks by Multi Degree Preferential-Attachment Indices

In principle, the rules of links formation of a network model can be considered as a kind of link prediction algorithm. By revisiting the preferential attachment mechanism for generating a scale-free network, here we propose a class of preferential attachment indices which are different from the previous one. Traditionally, the preferential attachment index is defined by the product of the related nodes degrees, while the new indices will define the similarity score of a pair of nodes by either the maximum in the two nodes degrees or the summarization of their degrees. Extensive experiments are carried out on fourteen real-world networks. Compared with the traditional preferential attachment index, the new ones, especially the degree-summarization similarity index, can provide more accurate prediction on most of the networks. Due to the improved prediction accuracy and low computational complexity, these proposed preferential attachment indices may be of help to provide an instruction for mining unknown links in incomplete networks.