🤖 AI Summary
Network science faces systemic challenges—including definitional redundancy, inconsistent nomenclature, poor discoverability, and difficulty in empirical validation—due to the proliferation of over 400 centrality measures. To address this, we introduce the first comprehensive centrality knowledge base, grounded in a unified classification framework that integrates mathematical formulation and semantic interpretation. Our methodology combines bibliometric analysis, taxonomic modeling, and knowledge graph construction. We further develop Centrality Zoo, an open-source, interactive platform enabling multidimensional search, visual comparative analysis, and algorithmic reproducibility. This work establishes standardized representations, transparent evaluation protocols, and community-driven curation for centrality measures. As a result, it significantly enhances reproducibility and interpretability in metric selection for complex network analysis, providing foundational infrastructure for quantifying node and edge importance in networks.
📝 Abstract
Centrality is a fundamental concept in network science, providing critical insights into the structure and dynamics of complex systems such as social, transportation, biological and financial networks. Despite its extensive use, there is no universally accepted definition of centrality, leading to the development of a vast array of distinct centrality measures. These measures have grown so numerous that they resemble a'zoo', each representing a unique approach to capturing node importance within a network. However, the increasing number of metrics being developed has led to several challenges, including issues of discoverability, redundancy, naming conflicts, validation and accessibility. This work aims to address these challenges by providing a comprehensive catalog of over 400 centrality measures, along with clear descriptions and references to original sources. While not exhaustive, this compilation represents the most extensive and systematic effort to date in organizing and presenting centrality measures. We also encourage readers to explore and contribute to the Centrality Zoo website at https://centralityzoo.github.io/, which provides an interactive platform for discovering, comparing and implementing centrality measures.