4 research outputs found
Opinion Formation in Laggard Societies
We introduce a statistical physics model for opinion dynamics on random
networks where agents adopt the opinion held by the majority of their direct
neighbors only if the fraction of these neighbors exceeds a certain threshold,
p_u. We find a transition from total final consensus to a mixed phase where
opinions coexist amongst the agents. The relevant parameters are the relative
sizes in the initial opinion distribution within the population and the
connectivity of the underlying network. As the order parameter we define the
asymptotic state of opinions. In the phase diagram we find regions of total
consensus and a mixed phase. As the 'laggard parameter' p_u increases the
regions of consensus shrink. In addition we introduce rewiring of the
underlying network during the opinion formation process and discuss the
resulting consequences in the phase diagram.Comment: 5 pages, eps fig
Lack of consensus in social systems
We propose an exactly solvable model for the dynamics of voters in a
two-party system. The opinion formation process is modeled on a random network
of agents. The dynamical nature of interpersonal relations is also reflected in
the model, as the connections in the network evolve with the dynamics of the
voters. In the infinite time limit, an exact solution predicts the emergence of
consensus, for arbitrary initial conditions. However, before consensus is
reached, two different metastable states can persist for exponentially long
times. One state reflects a perfect balancing of opinions, the other reflects a
completely static situation. An estimate of the associated lifetimes suggests
that lack of consensus is typical for large systems.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Physical Forces between Humans and How Humans Attract and Repel Each Other Based on Their Social Interactions in an Online World.
Physical interactions between particles are the result of the exchange of gauge bosons. Human interactions are mediated by the exchange of messages, goods, money, promises, hostilities, etc. While in the physical world interactions and their associated forces have immediate dynamical consequences (Newton's laws) the situation is not clear for human interactions. Here we quantify the relative acceleration between humans who interact through the exchange of messages, goods and hostilities in a massive multiplayer online game. For this game we have complete information about all interactions (exchange events) between about 430,000 players, and about their trajectories (movements) in the metric space of the game universe at any point in time. We use this information to derive "interaction potentials" for communication, trade and attacks and show that they are harmonic in nature. Individuals who exchange messages and trade goods generally attract each other and start to separate immediately after exchange events end. The form of the interaction potential for attacks mirrors the usual "hit-and-run" tactics of aggressive players. By measuring interaction intensities as a function of distance, velocity and acceleration, we show that "forces" between players are directly related to the number of exchange events. We find an approximate power-law decay of the likelihood for interactions as a function of distance, which is in accordance with previous real world empirical work. We show that the obtained potentials can be understood with a simple model assuming an exchange-driven force in combination with a distance-dependent exchange rate