# Structured Learning on Mapper Representations

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.22044 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.22044/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 12 of its 35 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 22 Aug 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Semi-Supervised Classification with Graph Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.02907/) (2016)
- [node2vec: Scalable Feature Learning for Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1607.00653/) (2016)
- [DeepWalk: Online Learning of Social Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1403.6652/) (2014)
- [TUDataset: A collection of benchmark datasets for learning with graphs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.08663/) (2020)
- [Representation Learning on Graphs: Methods and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1709.05584/) (2017)
- [Persistence Images: A Stable Vector Representation of Persistent Homology](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1507.06217/) (2015)
- [An introduction to Topological Data Analysis: fundamental and practical aspects for data scientists](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.04019/) (2017)
- [A Stable Multi-Scale Kernel for Topological Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6821/) (2014)
- [Deep Graph Mapper: Seeing Graphs through the Neural Lens](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.03864/) (2020)
- [Statistical Analysis and Parameter Selection for Mapper](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.00204/) (2017)
- [Mapper Based Classifier](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.08103/) (2019)
- [Topologically Attributed Graphs for Shape Discrimination](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.17805/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Modern machine learning (ML) methods are highly effective for prediction tasks, but many commonly used representations reduce complex data to fixed dimensional embeddings that may suppress multiscale structural organization. The Mapper algorithm from topological data analysis (TDA) provides a different perspective by decomposing data into overlapping local regions connected through a nerve construction, producing a structured representation that captures geometric organization, local statistical behavior, and relational connectivity simultaneously. In this work, we develop a framework for learning over Mapper induced structured representations. Rather than treating Mapper as a preprocessing step that produces a graph for downstream learning, we treat the full Mapper construction as part of the representation itself. We study mathematical properties of these representations, including invariance under relabeling, a distance functional on the space of Mapper representations, structural complexity of multiscale decompositions, and learning oriented stability under representation perturbations. Experiments on time series and graph classification datasets validate the proposed framework through controlled studies of representation ablation, Mapper parameter sensitivity, and the geometry of the induced representation space. Together, these results demonstrate how the proposed mathematical framework enables systematic comparison, interpretation, and analysis of Mapper representations, providing practical tools for studying representation geometry, structural complexity, and learning stability in learning tasks.