Eur. Phys. J. B (2015) 88: 25
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2014-50603-5

Regular Article

Attractors, statistics and fluctuations of the dynamics of the Schelling’s model for social segregation

¹ Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Avda. Diagonal las Torres 2640, Peñalolén, Santiago, Chile
² CEIBA Complex Systems Research Center and Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

^a e-mail: sergio.rica@gmail.com
^b On leave from: Institut Non Linéaire de Nice, UMR 6618 CNRS-UNSA, 1361 Route des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France.

Received: 5 September 2014
Received in final form: 25 November 2014
Published online: 19 January 2015

Abstract

Statistical properties, fluctuations and probabilistic arguments are shown to explain the robust dynamics of the Schelling’s social segregation model. With the aid of probability density functions we characterize the attractors for multiple external parameters and conditions. We discuss the role of the initial states and we show that, indeed, the system evolves towards well defined attractors. Finally, we provide probabilistic arguments to explain quantitatively the observed behavior.