Population dynamics modeling of crowdsourcing as an evolutionary Cooperation-Competition game for fulfillment capacity balancing and optimization of smart manufacturing services

Abstract

Crowdsourcing has become an integral part of various industrial systems, with evolutionary dynamics playing a crucial role in group interactions within structured populations. This paper explores the significance of understanding population dynamics in crowdsourcing, particularly in the context of manufacturer crowds delivering manufacturing services. To ensure the platform’s prosperity, it is essential to address the key challenge of matching and balancing different manufacturers’ fulfillment capacities.

To tackle this challenge, we present a population dynamics model and a Moran process formulation based on evolutionary cooperation-competition game theory. These tools offer valuable insights into the growth rate of specific user types participating in crowdsourcing activities. Moreover, we have devised an optimization strategy that utilizes the population dynamics model and Moran process simulations to effectively stimulate user growth.

To demonstrate the efficacy of our approach, we focus on the application of tank trailer crowdsourced manufacturing. Through a comprehensive testing case study, we showcase how our proposed model can effectively motivate and balance manufacturers’ participation levels in a tournament-based bidding process for crowdsourcing.