Evolution of cooperation on scale-free networks under limited resources

TL;DR

This paper investigates how limited resources influence cooperation dynamics on scale-free networks, revealing that such networks enhance cooperation and reduce coexistence of cooperators and defectors compared to well-mixed populations.

Contribution

It extends the limited resources model to scale-free networks, demonstrating how network topology affects cooperation and coexistence in evolutionary games.

Findings

Cooperation is promoted on scale-free networks under resource limitations.

The cooperator-dominated region expands compared to well-mixed populations.

Coexistence region becomes narrower on scale-free networks.

Abstract

Limitation of resources has been recently introduced as a mechanism for the survival and coexistence of cooperators with defectors in well-mixed populations. Here we examine the same model on a scale-free network. A prisoner's dilemma game on a scale-free network has shown coexistence of cooperators and defectors for the entire range of parameters. Our results show that by introducing the network to the limited resources model, the cooperator-dominated region in the parameter space expands comparing to the results of well-mixed population and the coexistence region becomes narrower. The effect of scale-free network is therefore interpreted as improving the cooperation in the population and reducing the coexistence.