Nonequilibrium phase transition in a model for social influence

We present extensive numerical simulations of the Axelrod's model for social influence, aimed at understanding the formation of cultural domains. This is a nonequilibrium model with short range interactions and a remarkably rich dynamical behavior. We study the phase diagram of the model and uncover a nonequilibrium phase transition separating an ordered (culturally polarized) phase from a disordered (culturally fragmented) one. The nature of the phase transition can be continuous or discontinuous depending on the model parameters. At the transition, the size of cultural regions is power-law distributed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Emotional Strategies as Catalysts for Cooperation in Signed Networks

The evolution of unconditional cooperation is one of the fundamental problems in science. A new solution is proposed to solve this puzzle. We treat this issue with an evolutionary model in which agents play the Prisoner's Dilemma on signed networks. The topology is allowed to co-evolve with relational signs as well as with agent strategies. We introduce a strategy that is conditional on the emotional content embedded in network signs. We show that this strategy acts as a catalyst and creates favorable conditions for the spread of unconditional cooperation. In line with the literature, we found evidence that the evolution of cooperation most likely occurs in networks with relatively high chances of rewiring and with low likelihood of strategy adoption. While a low likelihood of rewiring enhances cooperation, a very high likelihood seems to limit its diffusion. Furthermore, unlike in non-signed networks, cooperation becomes more prevalent in denser topologies.Comment: 24 pages, Accepted for publication in Advances in Complex System

Dynamical organization towards consensus in the Axelrod model on complex networks

We analyze the dynamics toward cultural consensus in the Axelrod model on scale-free networks. By looking at the microscopic dynamics of the model, we are able to show how culture traits spread across different cultural features. We compare the diffusion at the level of cultural features to the growth of cultural consensus at the global level, finding important differences between these two processes. In particular, we show that even when most of the cultural features have reached macroscopic consensus, there are still no signals of globalization. Finally, we analyze the topology of consensus clusters both for global culture and at the feature level of representation.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version published in Physical Review

Einstein Radii from Binary Lensing Events

We show that the Einstein ring radius and transverse speed of a lens projected on the source plane, $\hat{r}_{\rm e}$ and $\hat{v}$, can be determined from the light curve of a binary-source event, followed by the spectroscopic determination of the orbital elements of the source stars. The determination makes use of the same principle that allows one to measure the Einstein ring radii from finite-source effects. For the case when the orbital period of the source stars is much longer than the Einstein time scale, $P\gg t_{\rm e}$, there exists a single two-fold degeneracy in determining $\hat{r}_{\rm e}$. However, when $P \lesssim t_{\rm e}$ the degeneracy can often be broken by making use of the binary-source system's orbital motion. %Once $\hat{r}_{\rm e}$, and thus $\hat{v}$ are determined, one can %distinguish self-lensing events in the Large Magellanic Cloud %from Galactic halo events. For an identifiable 8\% of all lensing events seen toward the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one can unambiguously determine whether the lenses are Galactic, or whether they lie in the LMC itself. The required observations can be made after the event is over and could be carried out for the $\sim 8$ events seen by Alcock et al.\ and Aubourg et al.. In addition, we propose to include eclipsing binaries as sources for gravitational lensing experiments.Comment: 18 pages, revised version, submitted to Ap

A BIBLIOGRAPHY ON RADIOISOTOPE POWER SUPPLIES

A bibliography is presented of reports on the research and development and space and terrestrial applications of radioisotope-fueled power supplies. (C.E.S.

Algebraic Characterization of Vector Supersymmetry in Topological Field Theories

An algebraic cohomological characterization of a class of linearly broken Ward identities is provided. The examples of the topological vector supersymmetry and of the Landau ghost equation are discussed in detail. The existence of such a linearly broken Ward identities turns out to be related to BRST exact antifield dependent cocycles with negative ghost number.Comment: 30 pages, latex2e file, subm. to Journ. of Math. Phy

Spatial patterns and scale freedom in a Prisoner's Dilemma cellular automata with Pavlovian strategies

A cellular automaton in which cells represent agents playing the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) game following the simple "win-stay, loose-shift" strategy is studied. Individuals with binary behavior, such as they can either cooperate (C) or defect (D), play repeatedly with their neighbors (Von Neumann's and Moore's neighborhoods). Their utilities in each round of the game are given by a rescaled payoff matrix described by a single parameter Tau, which measures the ratio of 'temptation to defect' to 'reward for cooperation'. Depending on the region of the parameter space Tau, the system self-organizes - after a transient - into dynamical equilibrium states characterized by different definite fractions of C agents (2 states for the Von Neumann neighborhood and 4 for Moore neighborhood). For some ranges of Tau the cluster size distributions, the power spectrums P(f) and the perimeter-area curves follow power-law scalings. Percolation below threshold is also found for D agent clusters. We also analyze the asynchronous dynamics version of this model and compare results.Comment: Accepted for publication in JSTA

Prisoner's Dilemma cellular automata revisited: evolution of cooperation under environmental pressure

We propose an extension of the evolutionary Prisoner's Dilemma cellular automata, introduced by Nowak and May \cite{nm92}, in which the pressure of the environment is taken into account. This is implemented by requiring that individuals need to collect a minimum score $U_{min}$, representing indispensable resources (nutrients, energy, money, etc.) to prosper in this environment. So the agents, instead of evolving just by adopting the behaviour of the most successful neighbour (who got $U^{msn}$), also take into account if $U^{msn}$ is above or below the threshold $U_{min}$. If $U^{msn}<U_{min}$ an individual has a probability of adopting the opposite behaviour from the one used by its most successful neighbour. This modification allows the evolution of cooperation for payoffs for which defection was the rule (as it happens, for example, when the sucker's payoff is much worse than the punishment for mutual defection). We also analyse a more sophisticated version of this model in which the selective rule is supplemented with a "win-stay, lose-shift" criterion. The cluster structure is analyzed and, for this more complex version we found power-law scaling for a restricted region in the parameter space.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures; added figures and revised tex

Freezing and Slow Evolution in a Constrained Opinion Dynamics Model

We study opinion formation in a population that consists of leftists, centrists, and rightist. In an interaction between neighboring agents, a centrist and a leftist can become both centrists or leftists (and similarly for a centrist and a rightist). In contrast, leftists and rightists do not affect each other. The initial density of centrists rho_0 controls the evolution. With probability rho_0 the system reaches a centrist consensus, while with probability 1-rho_0 a frozen population of leftists and rightists results. In one dimension, we determine this frozen state and the opinion dynamics by mapping the system onto a spin-1 Ising model with zero-temperature Glauber kinetics. In the frozen state, the length distribution of single-opinion domains has an algebraic small-size tail x^{-2(1-psi)} and the average domain size grows as L^{2*psi}, where L is the system length. The approach to this frozen state is governed by a t^{-psi} long-time tail with psi-->2*rho_0/pi as rho_0-->0.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, 2-column revtex4 format, for submission to J. Phys. A. Revision contains lots of stylistic changes and 1 new result; the main conclusions are the sam