SFGCN: Synergetic fusion-based graph convolutional networks approach for link prediction in social networks

Accurate Link Prediction (LP) in Social Networks (SNs) is crucial for various practical applications, such as recommendation systems and network security. However, traditional techniques often struggle to capture the intricate and multidimensional nature of these networks. This paper presents a novel approach, the Synergetic Fusion-based Graph Convolutional Networks (SFGCN), designed to enhance LP accuracy in SNs. The SFGCN model utilizes a fusion architecture that combines structural features and other attribute data through early, intermediate, and late fusion mechanisms to create improved node and edge representations. We thoroughly evaluate our SFGCN model on seven real-world datasets, encompassing citation networks, co-purchase networks, and academic publication domains. The results demonstrate its superiority over baseline GCN architectures and other selected LP methods, achieving a 6.88 % improvement in accuracy. The experiments show that our model captures the complex interactions and dependencies within SNs, providing a comprehensive understanding of their underlying dynamics. The approach mentioned can be effectively applied in the domain of SN analysis to enhance the accuracy of LP results. This method not only improves the precision of predictions but also enhances the adaptability of the model in diverse SN scenarios.