Differential Calculus on Graphon Space

Abstract: Recently, the theory of dense graph limits has received attention from multiple disciplines including graph theory, computer science, statistical physics, probability, statistics, and group theory. In this paper we initiate the study of the general structure of differentiable graphon parameters $F$. We derive consistency conditions among the higher G^ateaux derivatives of $F$ when restricted to the subspace of edge weighted graphs $\mathcal{W}{\bf p}$. Surprisingly, these constraints are rigid enough to imply that the multilinear functionals $\Lambda: \mathcal{W}{\bf p}^n \to \mathbb{R}$ satisfying the constraints are determined by a finite set of constants indexed by isomorphism classes of multigraphs with $n$ edges and no isolated vertices. Using this structure theory, we explain the central role that homomorphism densities play in the analysis of graphons, by way of a new combinatorial interpretation of their derivatives. In particular, homomorphism densities serve as the monomials in a polynomial algebra that can be used to approximate differential graphon parameters as Taylor polynomials. These ideas are summarized by our main theorem, which asserts that homomorphism densities $t(H,-)$ where $H$ has at most $N$ edges form a basis for the space of smooth graphon parameters whose $(N+1)$st derivatives vanish. As a consequence of this theory, we also extend and derive new proofs of linear independence of multigraph homomorphism densities, and characterize homomorphism densities. In addition, we develop a theory of series expansions, including Taylor's theorem for graph parameters and a uniqueness principle for series. We use this theory to analyze questions raised by Lov\'asz, including studying infinite quantum algebras and the connection between right- and left-homomorphism densities.