Active-to-absorbing-state phase transition in an evolving population with mutation

TL;DR

This paper investigates the critical behavior of a species-mutant system undergoing an active-to-absorbing phase transition, revealing weak dynamic scaling and connections to directed percolation universality, with implications for species survival.

Contribution

It introduces a simple two-component model capturing mutation effects on phase transition behavior, highlighting nontrivial critical scaling and universality class connections.

Findings

Uncovered nontrivial critical scaling near the transition

Identified weak dynamic scaling behavior

Linked the model to directed percolation universality class

Abstract

We study the active to absorbing phase transition (AAPT) in a simple two-component model system for a species and its mutant. We uncover the nontrivial critical scaling behavior and weak dynamic scaling near the AAPT that shows the significance of mutation and highlights the connection of this model with the well-known directed percolation universality class. Our model should be a useful starting point to study how mutation may affect extinction or survival of a species.