Eur. Phys. J. B (2021) 94: 89
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/s10051-021-00098-8

Regular Article – Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Entropical analysis of an opinion formation model presenting a spontaneous third position emergence

¹ Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Matemática, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba, Argentina
² Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba, Argentina
³ Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Medina Allende s/n , Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina

^a marcosgaudiano@gmail.com

Received: 10 February 2021
Accepted: 6 April 2021
Published online: 28 April 2021

Abstract

Characterization of complexity within the sociological interpretation has resulted in a large number of notions, which are relevant in different situations. From the statistical mechanics point of view, these notions resemble entropy. In a recent work, intriguing non-monotonous properties were observed in an opinion dynamics Sznajd model. These properties were found to be consequences of the hierarchical organization assumed for the system, though their nature remained unexplained. In the present work, we bring a unified entropical framework that provides a deeper understanding of those system features. By performing numerical simulations, the system track probabilistic dependence on the initial structures is quantified in terms of entropy. Several entropical regimes are unveiled. The myriad of possible system outputs is enhanced within a maximum impredictability regime. A mutual structural weakness of the initial parties could be associated with this regime, fostering the emergence of a third position.