Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
The Voter Model is a simple yet powerful model of opinion formation. Each agent holds one of two opinions (0 or 1). At each step, a random agent adopts the opinion of a random neighbor. Over time, this leads to consensus formation and domain coarsening.
Update Rule: Agent i → Opinion of random neighbor j
Key Features: Domain growth, consensus time scaling with system size, effects of network topology, influence of stubborn agents (zealots)
Applications: Social networks, political polarization, cultural evolution, epidemic spreading, financial markets
Opinion Network (150×150)
Opinion Fractions vs Time
Domain Size Evolution