Li, X, Mobilia, M orcid.org/0000-0002-1424-567X, Rucklidge, AM orcid.org/0000-0003-2985-0976 et al. (1 more author) (2021) How does homophily shape the topology of a dynamic network? Physical Review E, 104 (4). 044311. ISSN 2470-0045
Abstract
We consider a dynamic network of individuals that may hold one of two different opinions in a two-party society. As a dynamical model, agents can endlessly create and delete links to satisfy a preferred degree, and the network is shaped by homophily, a form of social interaction. Characterized by the parameter J∈[−1,1], the latter plays a role similar to Ising spins: agents create links to others of the same opinion with probability (1+J)/2, and delete them with probability (1−J)/2. Using Monte Carlo simulations and mean field theory, we focus on the network structure in the steady state. We study the effects of J on degree distributions and the fraction of cross-party links. While the extreme cases of homophily or heterophily (J=±1) are easily understood to result in complete polarization or anti-polarization, intermediate values of J lead to interesting behavior of the network. Our model exhibits the intriguing feature of an "overwhelming transition" occurring when communities of different sizes are subject to sufficient heterophily: agents of the minority group are oversubscribed and their average degree greatly exceeds that of the majority group. In addition, we introduce a novel measure of polarization which displays distinct advantages over the commonly used average edge homogeneity.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 American Physical Society. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Networks; Fluctuations; Opinion dynamics; Phase transition |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mathematics (Leeds) > Applied Mathematics (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 22 Sep 2021 13:44 |
Last Modified: | 20 Mar 2023 16:08 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Physical Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1103/PhysRevE.104.044311 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:178379 |