Competing Species Dynamics: Qualitative Advantage versus Geography

TL;DR

This paper presents a cellular automata model demonstrating that spatial organization and aggressiveness are crucial for minority groups to succeed against a majority, with applications across various competitive scenarios including species evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a simple cellular automata model showing the importance of spatial factors and aggressiveness in competitive dynamics, offering new insights into species evolution and other conflicts.

Findings

Spatial organization and aggressiveness enable minorities to win

Qualitative advantage alone is insufficient for victory

Model explains punctuated equilibria in species evolution

Abstract

A simple cellular automata model for a two-group war over the same territory is presented. It is shown that a qualitative advantage is not enough for a minority to win. A spatial organization as well a definite degree of aggressiveness are instrumental to overcome a less fitted majority. The model applies to a large spectrum of competing groups: smoker-non smoker war, epidemic spreading, opinion formation, competition for industrial standards and species evolution. In the last case, it provides a new explanation for punctuated equilibria.