11,622 research outputs found
The non-linear q-voter model
We introduce a non-linear variant of the voter model, the q-voter model, in
which q neighbors (with possible repetition) are consulted for a voter to
change opinion. If the q neighbors agree, the voter takes their opinion; if
they do not have an unanimous opinion, still a voter can flip its state with
probability . We solve the model on a fully connected network (i.e.
in mean-field) and compute the exit probability as well as the average time to
reach consensus. We analyze the results in the perspective of a recently
proposed Langevin equation aimed at describing generic phase transitions in
systems with two ( symmetric) absorbing states. We find that in mean-field
the q-voter model exhibits a disordered phase for high and an
ordered one for low with three possible ways to go from one to the
other: (i) a unique (generalized voter-like) transition, (ii) a series of two
consecutive Ising-like and directed percolation transition, and (iii) a series
of two transitions, including an intermediate regime in which the final state
depends on initial conditions. This third (so far unexplored) scenario, in
which a new type of ordering dynamics emerges, is rationalized and found to be
specific of mean-field, i.e. fluctuations are explicitly shown to wash it out
in spatially extended systems.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure
Phase transitions with infinitely many absorbing states in complex networks
We instigate the properties of the threshold contact process (TCP), a process
showing an absorbing-state phase transition with infinitely many absorbing
states, on random complex networks. The finite size scaling exponents
characterizing the transition are obtained in a heterogeneous mean field (HMF)
approximation and compared with extensive simulations, particularly in the case
of heterogeneous scale-free networks. We observe that the TCP exhibits the same
critical properties as the contact process (CP), which undergoes an
absorbing-state phase transition to a single absorbing state. The accordance
among the critical exponents of different models and networks leads to
conjecture that the critical behavior of the contact process in a HMF theory is
a universal feature of absorbing state phase transitions in complex networks,
depending only on the locality of the interactions and independent of the
number of absorbing states. The conditions for the applicability of the
conjecture are discussed considering a parallel with the
susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic spreading model, which in fact
belongs to a different universality class in complex networks.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures to appear in Phys Rev
Collective versus hub activation of epidemic phases on networks
We consider a general criterion to discern the nature of the threshold in
epidemic models on scale-free (SF) networks. Comparing the epidemic lifespan of
the nodes with largest degrees with the infection time between them, we propose
a general dual scenario, in which the epidemic transition is either ruled by a
hub activation process, leading to a null threshold in the thermodynamic limit,
or given by a collective activation process, corresponding to a standard phase
transition with a finite threshold. We validate the proposed criterion applying
it to different epidemic models, with waning immunity or heterogeneous
infection rates in both synthetic and real SF networks. In particular, a waning
immunity, irrespective of its strength, leads to collective activation with
finite threshold in scale-free networks with large exponent, at odds with
canonical theoretical approaches.Comment: Revised version accepted for publication in PR
Quantifying echo chamber effects in information spreading over political communication networks
Echo chambers in online social networks, in which users prefer to interact
only with ideologically-aligned peers, are believed to facilitate
misinformation spreading and contribute to radicalize political discourse. In
this paper, we gauge the effects of echo chambers in information spreading
phenomena over political communication networks. Mining 12 million Twitter
messages, we reconstruct a network in which users interchange opinions related
to the impeachment of the former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. We define
a continuous {political position} parameter, independent of the network's
structure, that allows to quantify the presence of echo chambers in the
strongly connected component of the network, reflected in two well-separated
communities of similar sizes with opposite views of the impeachment process. By
means of simple spreading models, we show that the capability of users in
propagating the content they produce, measured by the associated spreadability,
strongly depends on their attitude. Users expressing pro-impeachment sentiments
are capable to transmit information, on average, to a larger audience than
users expressing anti-impeachment sentiments. Furthermore, the users'
spreadability is correlated to the diversity, in terms of political position,
of the audience reached. Our method can be exploited to identify the presence
of echo chambers and their effects across different contexts and shed light
upon the mechanisms allowing to break echo chambers.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary Information available as ancillary
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Irrelevance of information outflow in opinion dynamics models
The Sznajd model for opinion dynamics has attracted a large interest as a
simple realization of the psychological principle of social validation. As its
most salient feature, it has been claimed that the Sznajd model is
qualitatively different from other ordering processes, because it is the only
one featuring outflow of information as opposed to inflow. We show that this
claim is unfounded by presenting a generalized zero-temperature Glauber-type of
dynamics which yields results indistinguishable from those of the Sznajd model.
In one-dimension we also derive an exact expression for the exit probability of
the Sznajd model, that turns out to coincide with the result of an analytical
approach based on the Kirkwood approximation. This observation raises
interesting questions about the applicability and limitations of this approach.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Descripción de la cinética de hidratación de los granos y su mejora utilizando la tecnologÃa de ultrasonido
La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar el proceso de hidratación de granos y su posible mejora usando la tecnologÃa del ultrasonido. Para lo cual, se estudió la cinética de hidratación de diferentes granos (Tarwi, frejol Adzuki, granos de sorgo y granos de maÃz) correlacionando la morfologÃa de ellos con modelos matemáticos y mecanismos de transferencia de materia. Además, se estudió el efecto de la temperatura del agua de remojo y el efecto del contenido de humedad inicial de los granos para complementar la descripción del proceso. Asimismo, se estudió la aplicación del ultrasonido para mejorar el proceso de hidratación, describiendo los posibles mecanismos (efectos directos e indirectos) que mejoran la transferencia de materia. Como resultado, se comprobó que la forma como el agua entra en los granos es un fenómeno complicado que se lleva a cabo no sólo por difusión, sino también por capilaridad. Además, se usaron y propusieron modelos matemáticos apropiados para explicar el proceso, describiendo sus parámetros de acuerdo a la morfologÃa de los granos y los mecanismos de transferencia de materia. Al mismo tiempo, fue determinado como el ultrasonido mejora la transferencia de materia y en qué condiciones del proceso actúan los efectos directos (flujo inercial y efecto esponja) y efectos indirectos (formación de micro canales por la cavitación acústica), maximizando el efecto de dicha tecnologÃa. Finalmente, se demostró que la tecnologÃa de ultrasonido mejora el proceso de hidratación de los granos de maÃz reduciendo significativamente el tiempo del proceso aproximadamente en un 35 %, sin modificar las propiedades térmicas, reológicas y estructurales de su almidón. En conclusión, la presente investigación mejoró la descripción de proceso de hidratación de granos y demostró que la tecnologÃa del ultrasonido puede ser usado para mejorar el proceso sin alterar los principales componentes de los granos. Cabe resaltar que los resultados son muy deseados tanto desde el punto de vista industrial como el académico.PRONABECTesi
Redefining the role of obstacles in pedestrian evacuation
The placement of obstacles in front of doors is believed to be an effective strategy to increase the flow of pedestrians, hence improving the evacuation process. Since it was first suggested, this counterintuitive feature is considered a hallmark of pedestrian flows through bottlenecks. Indeed, despite the little experimental evidence, the placement of an obstacle has been hailed as the panacea for solving evacuation problems. In this work, we challenge this idea and experimentally demonstrate that the pedestrians flow rate is not necessarily altered by the presence of an obstacle. This result - which is at odds with recent demonstrations on its suitability for the cases of granular media, sheep and mice - differs from the outcomes of most of existing numerical models, and warns about the risks of carelessly extrapolating animal behaviour to humans. Our experimental findings also reveal an unnoticed phenomenon in relation with the crowd movement in front of the exit: in competitive evacuations, an obstacle attenuates the development of collective transversal rushes, which are hazardous as they might cause falls.Fil: GarcimartÃn, A.. Universidad de Navarra; EspañaFil: Maza, D.. Universidad de Navarra; EspañaFil: Pastor, J. M.. Focke Meler Gluing Solutions S.A.; EspañaFil: Parisi, Daniel Ricardo. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: MartÃn Gómez, C.. Universidad de Navarra; EspañaFil: Zuriguel, I.. Universidad de Navarra; Españ
Velocity fluctuations and hydrodynamic diffusion in sedimentation
We study non-equilibrium velocity fluctuations in a model for the
sedimentation of non-Brownian particles experiencing long-range hydrodynamic
interactions. The complex behavior of these fluctuations, the outcome of the
collective dynamics of the particles, exhibits many of the features observed in
sedimentation experiments. In addition, our model predicts a final relaxation
to an anisotropic (hydrodynamic) diffusive state that could be observed in
experiments performed over longer time ranges.Comment: 7 pages, 5 EPS figures, EPL styl
Steady-State Dynamics of the Forest Fire Model on Complex Networks
Many sociological networks, as well as biological and technological ones, can
be represented in terms of complex networks with a heterogeneous connectivity
pattern. Dynamical processes taking place on top of them can be very much
influenced by this topological fact. In this paper we consider a paradigmatic
model of non-equilibrium dynamics, namely the forest fire model, whose
relevance lies in its capacity to represent several epidemic processes in a
general parametrization. We study the behavior of this model in complex
networks by developing the corresponding heterogeneous mean-field theory and
solving it in its steady state. We provide exact and approximate expressions
for homogeneous networks and several instances of heterogeneous networks. A
comparison of our analytical results with extensive numerical simulations
allows to draw the region of the parameter space in which heterogeneous
mean-field theory provides an accurate description of the dynamics, and
enlights the limits of validity of the mean-field theory in situations where
dynamical correlations become important.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure
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