A Practical Guide to Graph Neural Networks

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have recently grown in popularity in the field of artificial intelligence due to their unique ability to ingest relatively unstructured data types as input data. Although some elements of the GNN architecture are conceptually similar in operation to traditional neural networks (and neural network variants), other elements represent a departure from traditional deep learning techniques. This tutorial exposes the power and novelty of GNNs to the average deep learning enthusiast by collating and presenting details on the motivations, concepts, mathematics, and applications of the most common types of GNNs. Importantly, we present this tutorial concisely, alongside worked code examples, and at an introductory pace, thus providing a practical and accessible guide to understanding and using GNNs.