A new algorithm for error-tolerant subgraph isomorphism detection

Abstract

We propose a new algorithm for error-correcting subgraph isomorphism detection from a set of model graphs to an unknown input graph. The algorithm is based on a compact representation of the model graphs. This representation is derived from the set of model graphs in an off-line preprocessing step. The main advantage of the proposed representation is that common subgraphs of different model graphs are represented only once. Therefore, at run time, given an unknown input graph, the computational effort of matching the common subgraphs for each model graph onto the input graph is done only once. Consequently, the new algorithm is only sublinearly dependent on the number of model graphs. Furthermore, the new algorithm can be combined with a future cost estimation method that greatly improves its run-time performance.