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Efficiently identifying multiple influential nodes is crucial for maximizing information diffusion and minimizing rumor spread in complex networks. Selecting multiple influential seed nodes requires consideration of both their individual influence potential and their spatial dispersion within the network topology to avoid overlapping propagation ranges ("rich-club effect"). Traditional VoteRank method suffer from two key limitations: (1) they assume uniform voting contributions from a node to all its neighbors, neglecting the impact of topological similarity (structural homophily) on voting preferences observed in real-world scenarios, and (2) they employ a homogeneous voting attenuation strategy which inadequately suppresses the propagation range overlap among selected seed nodes. To address these shortcomings, this paper proposes IMVoteRank, an improved VoteRank algorithm featuring dual innovations. First, we introduce a Structural Similarity-Driven Voting Contribution Mechanism. Recognizing that voters (nodes) are more likely to support candidates (neighbors) with whom they share stronger topological ties, we decompose a neighbor's voting contribution into two components: a Direct Connection Contribution and a Structural Similarity Contribution (quantified using common neighbors). A dynamic weight parameter θ, adjusted based on the candidate node's degree, balances these components, significantly refining vote allocation accuracy. Second, we devise a Dynamic Group Isolation Strategy. During each iteration, after selecting the highest-scoring seed node vmax, we identify and isolate a tightly-knit group (OG) centered around it. This involves: (i) forming an initial group based on shared neighbor density with vmax, (ii) expanding it by incorporating nodes with more connections inside the group than outside, and (iii) isolating this group by setting the voting capacity (Va) of all its members to zero and virtually removing their connections from the adjacency matrix. Neighbors of vmax not in OG have their Va halved. This strategy proactively enforces spatial dispersion among seeds. Extensive simulations using the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) propagation model on nine diverse real-world networks (ECON-WM3, Facebook-SZ, USAir, Celegans, ASOIAF, Dnc-corecipient, ERIS1176, DNC-emails, Facebook-combined) demonstrate the superior performance of IMVoteRank. Compared to seven benchmark methods (Degree, K-shell, VoteRank, NCVoteRank, VoteRank++, AIGCrank, EWV), IMVoteRank consistently achieves significantly larger final propagation coverage (infected scale) for a given number of seed nodes and transmission probability (β=0.1). Furthermore, seeds selected by IMVoteRank exhibit a consistently larger average shortest path length (Ls) among themselves across most networks, confirming their effective topological dispersion. This combination of high individual influence potential (optimized voting) and low redundancy (group isolation) directly translates to more efficient global information spread, as evidenced by the SIR results. Tests on LFR benchmark networks further validate these advantages, particularly at transmission rates above the epidemic threshold. IMVoteRank effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional voting models by integrating structural similarity into the voting process and employing dynamic group isolation to ensure seed dispersion. It provides a highly effective and physically well-grounded approach for identifying multiple influential nodes in complex networks, optimizing the trade-off between influence strength and spatial coverage. Future work will focus on enhancing computational efficiency for large-scale networks and exploring the impact of meso-scale community structures.
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Keywords:
- complex network /
- multiple influential nodes /
- voting model /
- isolation strategy
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