Disorder induced phase transition in kinetic models of opinion dynamics

Soumyajyoti Biswas, Arnab Chatterjee and Parongama Sen

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2012, vol. 391, issue 11, 3257-3265

Abstract: We propose a model of continuous opinion dynamics, where mutual interactions can be both positive and negative. Different types of distributions for the interactions, all characterized by a single parameter p denoting the fraction of negative interactions, are considered. Results from exact calculation of a discrete version and numerical simulations of the continuous version of the model indicate the existence of a universal continuous phase transition at p=pc below which a consensus is reached. Although the order–disorder transition is analogous to a ferromagnetic–paramagnetic phase transition with comparable critical exponents, the model is characterized by some distinctive features relevant to a social system.

Keywords: Social system; Consensus; Mean field; Critical phenomenon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:391:y:2012:i:11:p:3257-3265

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2012.01.046

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