Effects of anisotropic interactions on the structure of animal groups

TL;DR

This paper introduces an agent-based model demonstrating how simple anisotropic interaction rules among animals can produce various group structures like clusters, lines, and V-shapes, highlighting the role of attraction, repulsion, and anisotropy.

Contribution

It presents a novel agent-based model that explains diverse animal group formations through anisotropic interaction rules and simple local behaviors.

Findings

Model reproduces clustered, line, and V-shaped formations

Anisotropy and force balance are key to pattern emergence

Different structures depend on interaction strength and directionality

Abstract

This paper proposes an agent-based model which reproduces different structures of animal groups. The shape and structure of the group is the effect of simple interaction rules among individuals: each animal deploys itself depending on the position of a limited number of close group mates. The proposed model is shown to produce clustered formations, as well as lines and V-like formations. The key factors which trigger the onset of different patterns are argued to be the relative strength of attraction and repulsion forces and, most important, the anisotropy in their application.