
arXiv: 2008.13589
handle: 2108/297721 , 2108/316188 , 11573/1463364 , 11573/1685577
We investigate opinion dynamics in multi-agent networks when there exists a bias toward one of two possible opinions; for example, reflecting a status quo vs a superior alternative. Starting with all agents sharing an initial opinion representing the status quo, the system evolves in steps. In each step, one agent selected uniformly at random adopts with some probability a the superior opinion, and with probability 1 - a it follows an underlying update rule to revise its opinion on the basis of those held by its neighbors. We analyze the convergence of the resulting process under two well-known update rules, namely majority and voter. The framework we propose exhibits a rich structure, with a nonobvious interplay between topology and underlying update rule. For example, for the voter rule we show that the speed of convergence bears no significant dependence on the underlying topology, whereas the picture changes completely under the majority rule, where network density negatively affects convergence. We believe that the model we propose is at the same time simple, rich, and modular, affording mathematical characterization of the interplay between bias, underlying opinion dynamics, and social structure in a unified setting.
FOS: Computer and information sciences, social networks, Consensus, Majority dynamics, Agent theories and models; agent-based simulation and emergence; agent societies, Settore INF/01 - INFORMATICA, Social networks, voter model, Voter model, Computer Science - Multiagent Systems, Opinion dynamics, Social and Information Networks (cs.SI), Opinion dynamics; Majority dynamics; Voter model; Social networks; Consensus; Markov chains, Markov chains, 006, Computer Science - Social and Information Networks, consensus, majority dynamics, [INFO.INFO-MA] Computer Science [cs]/Multiagent Systems [cs.MA], opinion dynamics, Social networks; opinion dynamics, Multiagent Systems (cs.MA)
FOS: Computer and information sciences, social networks, Consensus, Majority dynamics, Agent theories and models; agent-based simulation and emergence; agent societies, Settore INF/01 - INFORMATICA, Social networks, voter model, Voter model, Computer Science - Multiagent Systems, Opinion dynamics, Social and Information Networks (cs.SI), Opinion dynamics; Majority dynamics; Voter model; Social networks; Consensus; Markov chains, Markov chains, 006, Computer Science - Social and Information Networks, consensus, majority dynamics, [INFO.INFO-MA] Computer Science [cs]/Multiagent Systems [cs.MA], opinion dynamics, Social networks; opinion dynamics, Multiagent Systems (cs.MA)
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