Link Prediction based on Quantum-Inspired Ant Colony Optimization

Incomplete or partial observations of network structures pose a serious challenge to theoretical and engineering studies of real networks. To remedy the missing links in real datasets, topology-based link prediction is introduced into the studies of various networks. Due to the complexity of network structures, the accuracy and robustness of most link prediction algorithms are not satisfying enough. In this paper, we propose a quantum-inspired ant colony optimization algorithm that integrates ant colony optimization and quantum computing to predict links in networks. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real networks show that the accuracy and robustness of the new algorithm is competitive in respect to most of the state of the art algorithms. This result suggests that the application of intelligent optimization to link prediction is promising for boosting its accuracy and robustness.