text: We consider a random sparse graph with bounded average degree, in which a subset of vertices has higher connectivity than the background. In particular, the average degree inside this subset of vertices is larger than outside (but still bounded). Given a realization of such graph, we aim at identifying the hidden subset of vertices. This can be regarded as a model for the problem of finding a tightly knitted community in a social network, or a cluster in a relational dataset. In this paper we present two sets of contributions: (i) We use the cavity method from spin glass theory to derive an exact phase diagram for the reconstruction problem. In particular, as the difference in edge probability increases, the problem undergoes two phase transitions, a static phase transition and a dynamic one. (ii) We establish rigorous bounds on the dynamic phase transition and prove that, above a certain threshold, a local algorithm (belief propagation) correctly identify most of the hidden set. Below the same threshold no local algorithm can achieve this goal. However, in this regime the subset can be identified by exhaustive search. For small hidden sets and large average degree, the phase transition for local algorithms takes an intriguingly simple form. Local algorithms succeed with high probability for ( _ in - _ out > _ out e ) and fail for ( _ in - _ out < _ out e ) (with ( _ in ), ( _ out ) the average degrees inside and outside the community). We argue that spectral algorithms are also ineffective in the latter regime. It is an open problem whether any polynomial time algorithms might succeed for ( _ in - _ out < _ out e ).
  @cite_16: Consider an Erdos---Renyi random graph in which each edge is present independently with probability @math 1 2, except for a subset @math CN of the vertices that form a clique (a completely connected subgraph). We consider the problem of identifying the clique, given a realization of such a random graph. The algorithm of (ANALCO. SIAM, pp 67---75, 2011) provably identifies the clique @math CN in linear time, provided @math |CN|?1.261N. Spectral methods can be shown to fail on cliques smaller than @math N. In this paper we describe a nearly linear-time algorithm that succeeds with high probability for @math |CN|?(1+?)N e for any @math ?>0. This is the first algorithm that provably improves over spectral methods. We further generalize the hidden clique problem to other background graphs (the standard case corresponding to the complete graph on @math N vertices). For large-girth regular graphs of degree @math (Δ+1) we prove that so-called local algorithms succeed if @math |CN|?(1+?)N eΔ and fail if @math |CN|≤(1-?)N eΔ.
  @cite_10: Alon, Krivelevich, and Sudakov [Random Struct Algorithms 13(3–4) (1998), 457–466.] designed an algorithm based on spectral techniques that almost surely finds a clique of size hidden in an otherwise random graph. We show that a different algorithm, based on the Lovasz theta function, almost surely both finds the hidden clique and certifies its optimality. Our algorithm has an additional advantage of being more robust: it also works in a semirandom hidden clique model, in which an adversary can remove edges from the random portion of the graph. ©2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 16, 195–208, 2000
  @cite_25: We consider the following detection problem: given a realization of a symmetric matrix X of dimension n, distinguish between the hypothesis that all upper triangular variables are i.i.d. Gaussians variables with mean 0 and variance 1 and the hypothesis that there is a planted principal submatrix B of dimension L for which all upper triangular variables are i.i.d. Gaussians with mean 1 and variance 1 , whereas all other upper triangular elements of X not in B are i.i.d. Gaussians variables with mean 0 and variance 1. We refer to this as the 'Gaussian hidden clique problem'. When L = (1 + ∊) √n (∊ > 0), it is possible to solve this detection problem with probability 1 - on(1) by computing the spectrum of X and considering the largest eigenvalue of X. We prove that when L < (1 - ∊) √n no algorithm that examines only the eigenvalues of X can detect the existence of a hidden Gaussian clique, with error probability vanishing as n → ∞. The result above is an immediate consequence of a more general result on rank-one perturbations of k-dimensional Gaussian tensors. In this context we establish a lower bound on the critical signal-to-noise ratio below which a rank-one signal cannot be detected.
  @cite_6: Lov asz and Schrijver [SIAM J. Optim., 1 (1991), pp. 166--190] devised a lift-and-project method that produces a sequence of convex relaxations for the problem of finding in a graph an independent set (or a clique) of maximum size. Each relaxation in the sequence is tighter than the one before it, while the first relaxation is already at least as strong as the Lov asz theta function [IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, 25 (1979), pp. 1--7]. We show that on a random graph Gn,1 2, the value of the rth relaxation in the sequence is roughly 0pt 7pt @math , almost surely. It follows that for those relaxations known to be efficiently computable, namely, for r=O(1), the value of the relaxation is comparable to the theta function. Furthermore, a perfectly tight relaxation is almost surely obtained only at the @math relaxation in the sequence.
summary: We do not expect spectral techniques to overcome the limitations of local algorithms in the present problem, even in their advanced forms that take into account degree heterogeneity. Evidence for this claim is provided by studying the dense graph case, in which degree heterogeneity does not pose problems. In that case spectral techniques are known to fail for @math @cite_16 @cite_25 , and hence are strictly inferior to (local) message passing algorithms that succeed Note that the definition of @math in the present paper correspond to @math in @cite_16 @cite_25 . for any @math . [Semidefinite relaxations.] Convex relaxations provide a natural class of polynomial time algorithms that are more powerful than spectral approaches. Feige and Krauthgamer @cite_10 @cite_6 studied the Lov 'asz-Schrijver hierarchy of semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxations for the hidden clique problem. In that setting, each round of the hierarchy yields a constant factor improvement in clique size, at the price of increasing complexity. It would be interesting to extend their analysis to the sparse regime. It is unclear whether SDP hierarchies are more powerful than simple local algorithms in this case.