The spontaneous formation and subsequent growth, dissolution, merger and competition of social groups bears similarities to physical phase transitions in metastable finite systems. We examine three different scenarios, percolation, spinodal decomposition and nucleation, to describe the formation of social groups of varying size and density. In our agent-based model, we use a feedback between the opinions of agents and their ability to establish links. Groups can restrict further link formation, but agents can also leave if costs exceed the group benefits. We identify the critical parameters for costs/benefits and social influence to obtain either one large group or the stable coexistence of several groups with different opinions. Analytic investigations allow to derive different critical densities that control the formation and coexistence of groups. Our novel approach sheds new light on the early stage of network growth and the emergence of large connected components.
翻译:社会团体的自发形成和随后的增长、解体、合并和竞争,与元可变有限系统中的物理阶段过渡相似,我们研究了三种不同的情景,即渗透、脊椎分解和核分离,以描述不同大小和密度的社会群体的形成情况;在我们的代理模型中,我们使用代理人意见与其建立联系的能力之间的反馈;团体可以限制进一步的联系形成,但如果成本超过集体利益,代理人也可以离开。我们确定成本/效益和社会影响的关键参数,以便获得一个大群体或具有不同观点的若干群体的稳定共存。分析调查可以得出控制群体形成和共存的不同关键密度。我们的新办法为网络增长的早期阶段和大型关联组成部分的出现提供了新的启示。