Editing Force-directed graph drawing (section)

{{Short description|Physical simulation to visualize graphs}}
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[[File:SocialNetworkAnalysis.png|250px|right|thumb|Social network visualization using a force-directed graph drawing algorithm<ref>{{citation|first=Martin|last=Grandjean|contribution=Introduction à la visualisation de données, l'analyse de réseau en histoire|year=2015|title=Geschichte und Informatik 18/19|pages=109–128|url=http://www.martingrandjean.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Grandjean2015.pdf}}</ref>]][[Image:Visualization of wiki structure using prefuse visualization package.png|250px|right|thumb|Visualization of links between pages on a wiki using a force-directed layout]]

'''Force-directed graph drawing''' algorithms are a class of [[algorithm]]s for [[graph drawing|drawing graphs]] in an aesthetically-pleasing way. Their purpose is to position the nodes of a [[Graph (discrete mathematics)|graph]] in two-dimensional or three-dimensional space so that all the edges are of more or less equal length and there are as few crossing edges as possible, by assigning forces among the set of edges and the set of nodes, based on their relative positions, and then using these forces either to simulate the motion of the edges and nodes or to minimize their energy.<ref>{{citation|first=Stephen G.|last=Kobourov|title=Spring Embedders and Force-Directed Graph Drawing Algorithms|year=2012|arxiv=1201.3011|bibcode=2012arXiv1201.3011K}}.</ref>

While graph drawing can be a difficult problem, force-directed algorithms, being physical simulations, usually require no special knowledge about graph theory such as [[planar graph|planarity]].