Adaptive migration guided by reputation-pheromone dynamics in spatial games

Xingping Sun, Kaiyu Feng, Hongwei Kang, Yong Shen and Qingyi Chen

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2026, vol. 202, issue P1

Abstract: An adaptive migration model founded on a reputation-pheromone system is presented to analyze the evolution of cooperation. The system translates an individual’s cooperative history into a shared environmental memory. Pheromone release, diffusion, and decay shape an information landscape that guides agent mobility. Simulation results link pheromone dynamics, individual decision-making, and population density. A reliable signaling environment, produced by moderate pheromone decay and diffusion, is essential for stable cooperation. The superior migration strategy proves contingent on the information environment’s character. A balanced exploration-exploitation approach excels where environmental memory is persistent. A decisive, exploitation-focused strategy is required where signals are ephemeral, allowing agents to capture transient opportunities. Robust cooperation does not arise from a single, universally optimal strategy. It is an emergent property of the synergistic coupling between individual decisions and environmental modification, offering new insight into self-organization through adaptive movement.

Keywords: Multi-player snowdrift game; Adaptive migration; Reputation mechanism; Pheromone (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:202:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077925014535

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2025.117440

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