Pair formation within multi-agent populations

David M.D. Smith and Neil F. Johnson

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2006, vol. 363, issue 1, 151-158

Abstract: We present a simple model for the formation of pairs in multi-agent populations of type A and B which move freely on a spatial network. Each agent of population A (and B) is labeled as Ai (and Bj) with i=1,...,NA (and j=1,...,NB) and carries its own individual list of characteristics or ‘phenotype’. When agents from opposite populations encounter one another on the network, they can form a relationship if not already engaged in one. The length of time for which any given pair stays together depends on the compatibility of the two constituent agents. Possible applications include the human dating scenario, and the commercial domain where two types of businesses A and B have members of each type looking for a business partner, i.e., Ai+Bj→Rij. The pair Rij then survives for some finite time before dissociating Rij→Ai+Bj. There are many possible generalizations of this basic setup. Here, we content ourselves with some initial numerical results for the simplest of network topologies, together with some accompanying analytic analysis.

Keywords: Agents; Competition; Networks; Search; Populations; Dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437106001002
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:363:y:2006:i:1:p:151-158

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2006.01.056

Access Statistics for this article

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is currently edited by K. A. Dawson, J. O. Indekeu, H.E. Stanley and C. Tsallis

More articles in Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().