[2601.21207] A Sheaf-Theoretic and Topological Perspective on Complex Network Modeling and Attention Mechanisms in Graph Neural Models

Computer Science > Machine Learning arXiv:2601.21207 (cs) [Submitted on 29 Jan 2026 (v1), last revised 19 Mar 2026 (this version, v2)] Title:A Sheaf-Theoretic and Topological Perspective on Complex Network Modeling and Attention Mechanisms in Graph Neural Models Authors:Chuan-Shen Hu View a PDF of the paper titled A Sheaf-Theoretic and Topological Perspective on Complex Network Modeling and Attention Mechanisms in Graph Neural Models, by Chuan-Shen Hu View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Combinatorial and topological structures, such as graphs, simplicial complexes, and cell complexes, form the foundation of geometric and topological deep learning (GDL and TDL) architectures. These models aggregate signals over such domains, integrate local features, and generate representations for diverse real-world applications. However, the distribution and diffusion behavior of GDL and TDL features during training remains an open and underexplored problem. Motivated by this gap, we introduce a cellular sheaf theoretic framework for modeling and analyzing the local consistency and harmonicity of node features and edge weights in graph-based architectures. By tracking local feature alignments and agreements through sheaf structures, the framework offers a topological perspective on feature diffusion and aggregation. Furthermore, a multiscale extension inspired by topological data analysis (TDA) is proposed to capture hierarchical feature interactions in graph models. This approach enab...