Simplification and analysis of a model of social interaction in voting

Luis F. Lafuerza; Louise Dyson; Bruce Edmonds; Alan J. McKane

doi:10.1140/epjb/e2016-70062-2

2022 Impact factor 1.6

Condensed Matter and Complex Systems

Open Access

Eur. Phys. J. B (2016) 89: 159
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2016-70062-2

Regular Article

Simplification and analysis of a model of social interaction in voting

Luis F. Lafuerza¹, Louise Dyson¹^a, Bruce Edmonds² and Alan J. McKane¹^b

¹ Theoretical Physics Division, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
² Centre for Policy Modelling, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6BH, UK

^a Current address: Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
^b e-mail: alan.mckane@manchester.ac.uk

Received: 27 January 2016
Received in final form: 5 April 2016
Published online: 4 July 2016

Abstract

A recently proposed model of social interaction in voting is investigated by simplifying it down into a version that is more analytically tractable and which allows a mathematical analysis to be performed. This analysis clarifies the interplay of the different elements present in the system – social influence, heterogeneity and noise – and leads to a better understanding of its properties. The origin of a regime of bistability is identified. The insight gained in this way gives further intuition into the behaviour of the original model.

Key words: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

© The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

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