Graph Convolutions That Ditch the Eigendecomposition
It reimplements an ICLR 2019 paper that replaces graph Fourier transforms with wavelets, cutting the expensive eigendecomposition out of spectral convolutions.

What it does
This is a PyTorch reimplementation of the Graph Wavelet Neural Network (GWNN), a spectral graph convolutional network built for semi-supervised node classification. Instead of using the graph Fourier transform—which requires an expensive matrix eigendecomposition—it performs convolutions in the wavelet domain. The authors report that this approach outperforms earlier spectral graph CNNs on standard citation benchmarks like Cora, Citeseer, and Pubmed.
The interesting bit
Graph wavelets are sparse and localized in the vertex domain, so you get interpretable, efficient convolutions without diagonalizing the Laplacian. The code leans on PyGSP for the wavelet machinery and torch-geometric for the graph backend.
Key highlights
- Replaces graph Fourier transform with graph wavelet transform to avoid matrix eigendecomposition.
- Targets semi-supervised node classification on citation graphs (Cora, Citeseer, Pubmed).
- Sparse binary feature support via JSON and edge-list CSV inputs.
- Exposes hyperparameters like Chebyshev polynomial order and heat kernel scale for tuning the wavelet approximation.
- Includes a link to a reference TensorFlow implementation for cross-checking.
Caveats
- The README pins very old dependency versions (Python 3.5.2, PyTorch 1.1.0), so expect friction with modern toolchains.
- It is a straight research reimplementation; the repo does not claim novel extensions or production hardening.
Verdict
Worth a look if you are studying spectral GNNs or need a working baseline for node classification. Skip it if you want a maintained, plug-and-play graph learning library.
Frequently asked
- What is benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork?
- It reimplements an ICLR 2019 paper that replaces graph Fourier transforms with wavelets, cutting the expensive eigendecomposition out of spectral convolutions.
- Is GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork open source?
- Yes — benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork is open source, released under the GPL-3.0 license.
- What language is GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork written in?
- benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork is primarily written in Python.
- How popular is GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork?
- benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork has 607 stars on GitHub.
- Where can I find GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork?
- benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork is on GitHub at https://github.com/benedekrozemberczki/GraphWaveletNeuralNetwork.