A survey on learning from graphs with heterophily: recent advances and future directions
Chenghua Gong, Yao Cheng, Jiahui Yu, Can Xu, Caihua Shan, Si-Qiang Luo, Xiang Li · Frontiers of Computer Science · 2025
Abstract Graphs are structured data that models complex relations between real-world entities. Heterophilic graphs, where linked nodes trend to have different labels or dissimilar features, have recently attracted significant attention and found many real-world applications. Meanwhile, increasing efforts have been made to advance learning from graphs with heterophily. Various graph heterophily measures, benchmark datasets, and learning paradigms are emerging rapidly. In this survey, we comprehensively review existing works on learning from graphs with heterophily. First, we overview over 500 publications, of which more than 300 are directly related to heterophilic graphs. After that, we survey existing metrics of graph heterophily and list recent benchmark datasets. Further, we systematically categorize existing methods based on a hierarchical taxonomy including GNN models, learning paradigms and practical applications. In addition, broader topics related to graph heterophily are also included. Finally, we discuss the primary challenges of existing studies and highlight promising avenues for future research.