Can topology reshape segregation patterns?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the underlying network topology influences the formation and evolution of segregation patterns in a metapopulation Schelling model, revealing that topology affects initial clustering but not the intrinsic segregation process.

Contribution

It demonstrates that segregation dynamics are intrinsic to individual tolerance levels and that topology determines where patterns form, with effects varying across different dynamical regimes.

Findings

Segregation process is topology independent, driven by individual tolerance.

Topology influences initial clustering in high-tolerance regimes.

Different coarsening mechanisms operate at low and high tolerance levels.

Abstract

We consider a metapopulation version of the Schelling model of segregation over several complex networks and lattice. We show that the segregation process is topology independent and hence it is intrinsic to the individual tolerance. The role of the topology is to fix the places where the segregation patterns emerge. In addition we address the question of the time evolution of the segregation clusters, resulting from different dynamical regimes of a coarsening process, as a function of the tolerance parameter. We show that the underlying topology may alter the early stage of the coarsening process, once large values of the tolerance are used, while for lower ones a different mechanism is at work and it results to be topology independent.