First--order continuous models of opinion formation

TL;DR

This paper investigates nonlinear continuous models of opinion formation, showing that opinions tend to polarize to extremal values, using analytical and numerical methods to determine the final opinion distribution.

Contribution

It introduces a class of kinetic-based continuous opinion models that predict polarization to extremal opinions, with analytical and numerical analysis of the final distributions.

Findings

Opinions tend to polarize to extremal values.

Analytical and numerical methods can recover the final opinion distribution.

Models are similar to pure drift models in magnetization.

Abstract

We study certain nonlinear continuous models of opinion formation derived from a kinetic description involving exchange of opinion between individual agents. These models imply that the only possible final opinions are the extremal ones, and are similar to models of pure drift in magnetization. Both analytical and numerical methods allow to recover the final distribution of opinion between the two extremal ones.