Detecting the community structure in complex networks based on quantum mechanics

In this paper, we develop a novel method to detect the community structure in complex networks. This approach is based on the combination of kernel-based clustering using quantum mechanics, the spectral clustering technique and the concept of the Bayesian information criterion. We test the proposed algorithm on Zachary's karate club network and the world of American college football. Experimental results indicate that our algorithm is efficient and effective at finding both the optimal number of clusters, and the best clustering of community structures. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.