On the relationship between PageRank and automorphisms of a graph

Abstract

PageRank is an algorithm used in Internet search to score the importance of web pages. The aim of this paper is demonstrate some new results concerning the relationship between the concept of PageRank and automorphisms of a graph. In particular, we show that if vertices u and v are similar in a graph G (i.e., there is an automorphism mapping u to v), then u and v have the same PageRank score. More generally, we prove that if the PageRanks of all vertices in G are distinct, then the automorphism group of G consists of the identity alone. Finally, the PageRank entropy measure of several kinds of real-world networks and all trees of orders 10–13 and 22 is investigated.