Convergence of time-delayed opinion dynamics with complex interaction types

TL;DR

This paper systematically analyzes how time delays affect the convergence and speed of opinion dynamics across different interaction types in both discrete and continuous systems, revealing conditions for stability and the impact of delays.

Contribution

It provides new sufficient conditions for convergence in discrete-time systems independent of delay magnitude and characterizes delay domains for convergence in continuous-time systems.

Findings

Discrete-time convergence depends only on network topology.

Time delays slow down convergence rates.

Small delays can accelerate convergence in continuous-time systems.

Abstract

In opinion dynamics, time delays in agent-to-agent interactions are ubiquitous, which can substantially disrupt the dynamical processes rooted in agents' opinion exchange, decision-making, and feedback mechanisms. However, a thorough comprehension of quantitative impacts of time delays on the opinion evolution, considering diverse interaction types and system dynamics, remains absent. In this paper, we conduct a systematic investigation into the convergence and the associated rate of time-delayed opinion dynamics with diverse interaction types in both discrete-time and continuous-time systems. For the discrete-time system, we commence by establishing sufficient conditions for its convergence on arbitrary signed interaction networks. These conditions show that the convergence is determined solely by the topology of the interaction network and remains impervious to the magnitude of the time delay. Subsequently, we examine the influence of random and other interaction types on the convergence rate and discover that time delays tend to decelerate this rate. Regarding the continuous-time system, we derive the feasible domain of the delay that ensures the convergence of opinion dynamics, revealing that, unlike the discrete-time scenarios, large time delays can instigate the divergence of opinions. Specifically, we prove that for both random and other interaction types, small delays can expedite the convergence of continuous-time system. Finally, we present simulation examples to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our research findings.