On nearly symmetric drawings of graphs

Abstract

We propose a force-directed approach for drawing graphs in a nearly symmetric fashion. Our algorithm is built upon recent theoretical results on maximum symmetric subgraphs. Knowing the sequence of edge contractions sufficient for turning an asymmetric graph into a symmetric subgraph, our approach to symmetric drawing begins by drawing a graph's maximum symmetric subgraph using a force-directed method; the contracted edges are then re-inserted back into the drawing. By considering symmetry as the underlying aesthetic criterion, our algorithm provides better drawings than conventional spring algorithms, as our experimental results indicate.