Community Size and User Migration: Population Model Based on opinion Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new population model that combines opinion dynamics and individual migration to explain online user migration, supported by theoretical proofs and simulations.

Contribution

It develops a mechanistic model integrating opinion evolution with migration, providing theoretical insights into community size and user movement.

Findings

The model predicts conditions for community consensus.

Steady population states are characterized mathematically.

Numerical simulations validate the theoretical results.

Abstract

Due to its significance in the recommendation system and community operations, user migration has garnered the interest of cyber-demography experts from numerous disciplines. However, contemporary research frequently overlooks the theory behind related prediction techniques, such as the Hidden Markov model. By combining the two fundamental processes of "opinion evolution" and "individual migration" in this research, the mechanistic explanation of online user migration is established and merged into a composite model. Simultaneously, some fundamental theorems and exploratory conclusions related to our model's consensus and steady population state are established via theoretical proof and numerical simulation.