{"title":"A stochastic model of discussion","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.physa.2024.130048","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We consider the duration of discussions in face-to-face contacts and propose a stochastic model to describe it. It is based on the points of a Levy flight where the duration of each contact corresponds to the size of the clusters produced during the walk. When confronting it to the data measured from proximity sensors, we show that several datasets obtained in different environments, are precisely reproduced by the model fixing a single parameter, the Levy index, to 1.15. We analyze the dynamics of the cluster formation during the walk and compute analytically the cluster size distribution. We find that discussions are first driven by a maximum-entropy geometric distribution and then by a rich-get-richer mechanism reminiscent of preferential-attachment (the more a discussion lasts, the more it is likely to continue). In this model, conversations may be viewed as an aggregation process with a characteristic scale fixed by the mean interaction time between the two individuals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20152,"journal":{"name":"Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437124005570","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We consider the duration of discussions in face-to-face contacts and propose a stochastic model to describe it. It is based on the points of a Levy flight where the duration of each contact corresponds to the size of the clusters produced during the walk. When confronting it to the data measured from proximity sensors, we show that several datasets obtained in different environments, are precisely reproduced by the model fixing a single parameter, the Levy index, to 1.15. We analyze the dynamics of the cluster formation during the walk and compute analytically the cluster size distribution. We find that discussions are first driven by a maximum-entropy geometric distribution and then by a rich-get-richer mechanism reminiscent of preferential-attachment (the more a discussion lasts, the more it is likely to continue). In this model, conversations may be viewed as an aggregation process with a characteristic scale fixed by the mean interaction time between the two individuals.
期刊介绍:
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
Recognized by the European Physical Society
Physica A publishes research in the field of statistical mechanics and its applications.
Statistical mechanics sets out to explain the behaviour of macroscopic systems by studying the statistical properties of their microscopic constituents.
Applications of the techniques of statistical mechanics are widespread, and include: applications to physical systems such as solids, liquids and gases; applications to chemical and biological systems (colloids, interfaces, complex fluids, polymers and biopolymers, cell physics); and other interdisciplinary applications to for instance biological, economical and sociological systems.