Random Walk Algorithm on Graphs with Degree-Based Probability

This function implements a random walk algorithm on a graph. It starts from a specified starting node and performs a random walk for a given number of steps, with the probability of moving to a neighboring node proportional to its degree.

Technology Stack : Igraph

Code Type : Function

Code Difficulty : Intermediate

                
                    
def random_walk(graph, start_node, steps=5):
    """
    Perform a random walk on the graph starting from the start_node for a given number of steps.
    
    :param graph: igraph.Graph object representing the network
    :param start_node: int, the starting node for the random walk
    :param steps: int, the number of steps to take in the random walk (default is 5)
    :return: list, the sequence of nodes visited in the random walk
    """
    walk = [start_node]
    for _ in range(steps):
        current_node = walk[-1]
        neighbors = graph.neighbors(current_node)
        if neighbors:
            next_node = neighbors[graph.vs[neighbors]['degree'].sample(1)[0]]
            walk.append(next_node)
        else:
            break
    return walk