Systems and methods for evaluating a group detection tool

Abstract

Systems and methods for evaluating a group detection tool are described. One described method includes a set of data including a collection of asserted links between pairs of individuals, creating a sorted list of the individuals present in the collection of asserted links, and creating a square co-occurrence matrix describing the collection of asserted links, the square co-occurrence matrix including a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns each containing the sorted list of individuals. The method also includes inserting a link indicator in each cell of the square co-occurrence matrix, the link indicator having a first value if a first individual associated with the row and a second individual associated with the column are linked and a second value if they are not, identifying a plurality of square sub-co-occurrence matrices in the square co-occurrence matrix, generating a statistic for a characteristic of at least one class of the plurality of square sub-co-occurrence matrices, and identifying one of the plurality of sub-co-occurrence matrices for each of the at least one class of square sub-co-occurrence matrices. The method further includes evaluating the performance of the group detection tool by: applying the group detection tool to the set of data, and determining the extent to which a plurality of individuals in the at least one square sub-co-occurrence matrix are associated in one or more groups generated by the group detection tool.