Axelrod's Model with Surface Tension

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modification to Axelrod's cultural dissemination model that incorporates surface tension, resulting in richer transient dynamics, stable cultural regions, and a new metastable 'glassy' phase.

Contribution

It proposes a subtle change to Axelrod's model that induces surface tension and reveals new metastable and stable cultural phases.

Findings

Emergence of surface tension in the modified model.

Formation of stable cultural regions and spatio-temporal structures.

Identification of a new metastable 'glassy' phase.

Abstract

In this work we propose a subtle change in Axelrod's model for the dissemination of culture. The mechanism consists of excluding non-interacting neighbours from the set of neighbours out of which an agent is drawn for potential cultural interactions. Although the alteration proposed does not alter topologically the configuration space, it yields significant qualitative changes, specifically the emergence of surface tension, driving the system in some cases to metastable states. The transient behaviour is considerably richer, and cultural regions have become stable leading to the formation of different spatio-temporal structures. A new metastable "glassy" phase emerges between the globalised phase and the polarised, multicultural phase.