An effective rumor-containing strategy

Cheng Pan, Lu-Xing Yang, Xiaofan Yang, Yingbo Wu and Yuan Yan Tang

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2018, vol. 500, issue C, 80-91

Abstract: False rumors can lead to huge economic losses or/and social instability. Hence, mitigating the impact of bogus rumors is of primary importance. This paper focuses on the problem of how to suppress a false rumor by use of the truth. Based on a set of rational hypotheses and a novel rumor-truth mixed spreading model, the effectiveness and cost of a rumor-containing strategy are quantified, respectively. On this basis, the original problem is modeled as a constrained optimization problem (the RC model), in which the independent variable and the objective function represent a rumor-containing strategy and the effectiveness of a rumor-containing strategy, respectively. The goal of the optimization problem is to find the most effective rumor-containing strategy subject to a limited rumor-containing budget. Some optimal rumor-containing strategies are given by solving their respective RC models. The influence of different factors on the highest cost effectiveness of a RC model is illuminated through computer experiments. The results obtained are instructive to develop effective rumor-containing strategies.

Keywords: Rumor containment; Rumor-truth mixed spreading model; Effectiveness; Cost; Constrained optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:500:y:2018:i:c:p:80-91

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2018.02.025

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