Coordination Games on Multiplex Networks: Consensus, Convergence, and Stability of Opinion Dynamics
Ruey-An Shiu, Parinaz Naghizadeh

TL;DR
This paper analyzes opinion dynamics in multilayer social networks, showing how layer interactions influence consensus formation, convergence speed, and stability, with implications for network design.
Contribution
It introduces models for multilayer opinion dynamics, derives conditions for consensus, and reveals how layer interactions can both promote and hinder consensus.
Findings
Multilayer interactions can induce or accelerate consensus.
Layer similarity influences the effectiveness of merging or switching.
Interconnected layers can destabilize previously stable consensus.
Abstract
This paper studies opinion dynamics in multilayer (social) networks. Extending a single-layer model, we formulate opinion updates as a synchronous coordination game in which agents minimize a local cost to stay close to their neighbors' opinions. We propose two coupling mechanisms between layers: (i) a merged model that aggregates layers through weighted influences, and (ii) a switching model that periodically alternates across layers. Using random-walk and spectral analysis, we derive sufficient conditions for consensus, characterize convergence rates, and analyze stability under network perturbations. We show that multilayer interactions can induce or accelerate global consensus even when no single layer achieves it alone, and conversely, that individually coordinated layers may lose consensus once interconnected. Notably, we show that similarity between the layers (as captured by…
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Taxonomy
TopicsOpinion Dynamics and Social Influence · Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems · Complex Network Analysis Techniques
