R Indexing a matrix to use in plot coordinates - r

Question

I'm trying to plot a temporal social network in R. My approach is to create a master graph and layout for all nodes. Then, I will subset the graph based on a series of vertex id's. However, when I do this and layout the graph, I get completely different node locations. I think I'm either subsetting the layout matrix incorrectly. I can't locate where my issue is because I've done some smaller matrix subsets and everything seems to work fine.
I have some example code and an image of the issue in the network plots.
library(igraph)
# make graph
g <- barabasi.game(25)
# make graph and set some aestetics
set.seed(123)
l <- layout_nicely(g)
V(g)$size <- rescale(degree(g), c(5, 20))
V(g)$shape <- 'none'
V(g)$label.cex <- .75
V(g)$label.color <- 'black'
E(g)$arrow.size = .1
# plot graph
dev.off()
par(mfrow = c(1,2),
mar = c(1,1,5,1))
plot(g, layout = l,
main = 'Entire\ngraph')
# use index & induced subgraph
v_ids <- sample(1:25, 15, F)
sub_l <- l[v_ids, c(1,2)]
sub_g <- induced_subgraph(g, v_ids)
# plot second graph
plot(sub_g, layout = sub_l,
main = 'Sub\ngraph')
The vertices in the second plot should match layout of those in the first.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, you set the random seed after you generated the graph,
so we cannot exactly reproduce your result. I will use the same code but
with set.seed before the graph generation. This makes the result look
different than yours, but will be reproducible.
When I run your code, I do not see exactly the same problem as you are
showing.
Your code (with set.seed moved and scales added)
library(igraph)
library(scales) # for rescale function
# make graph
set.seed(123)
g <- barabasi.game(25)
# make graph and set some aestetics
l <- layout_nicely(g)
V(g)$size <- rescale(degree(g), c(5, 20))
V(g)$shape <- 'none'
V(g)$label.cex <- .75
V(g)$label.color <- 'black'
E(g)$arrow.size = .1
## V(g)$names = 1:25
# plot graph
dev.off()
par(mfrow = c(1,2),
mar = c(1,1,5,1))
plot(g, layout = l,
main = 'Entire\ngraph')
# use index & induced subgraph
v_ids <- sort(sample(1:25, 15, F))
sub_l <- l[v_ids, c(1,2)]
sub_g <- induced_subgraph(g, v_ids)
# plot second graph
plot(sub_g, layout = sub_l,
main = 'Sub\ngraph', vertex.label=V(sub_g)$names)
When I run your code, both graphs have nodes in the same
positions. That is not what I see in the graph in your question.
I suggest that you run just this code and see if you don't get
the same result (nodes in the same positions in both graphs).
The only difference between the two graphs in my version is the
node labels. When you take the subgraph, it renumbers the nodes
from 1 to 15 so the labels on the nodes disagree. You can fix
this by storing the node labels in the graph before taking the
subgraph. Specifically, add V(g)$names = 1:25 immediately after
your statement E(g)$arrow.size = .1. Then run the whole thing
again, starting at set.seed(123). This will preserve the
original numbering as the node labels.
The graph looks slightly different because the new, sub-graph
does not take up all of the space and so is stretched to use
up the empty space.

Answer 2

Possible fast way around: draw the same graph, but color nodes and vertices that you dont need in color of your background. Depending on your purposes it can suit you.