Exact Results for the One-Dimensional Self-Organized Critical Forest-Fire Model

TL;DR

This paper provides an exact analytical solution for the one-dimensional self-organized critical forest-fire model, demonstrating SOC without conservation laws and confirming results with simulations.

Contribution

The authors derive an exact solution for the 1D SOC forest-fire model, proving SOC analytically in a non-conservative system.

Findings

Critical exponent for forest cluster size distribution is exactly τ=2

Analytic results are confirmed by computer simulations

SOC is demonstrated in a non-conservative 1D system

Abstract

We present the analytic solution of the self-organized critical (SOC) forest-fire model in one dimension proving SOC in systems without conservation laws by analytic means. Under the condition that the system is in the steady state and very close to the critical point, we calculate the probability that a string of $n$ neighboring sites is occupied by a given configuration of trees. The critical exponent describing the size distribution of forest clusters is exactly $\tau = 2$ and does not change under certain changes of the model rules. Computer simulations confirm the analytic results.