Robust convention emergence in social networks through self-reinforcing structures dissolution

Abstract

Convention emergence solves the problem of choosing, in a decentralized way and among all equally beneficial conventions, the same convention for the entire population in the system for their own benefit. Our previous work has shown that reaching 100% agreement is not as straighforward as assumed by previous researchers, that, in order to save computational resources fixed the convergence rate to 90% (measuring the time it takes for 90% of the population to coordinate on the same action). In this article we present the notion of social instruments as a set of mechanisms that facilitate and accelerate the emergence of norms from repeated interactions between members of a society, only accessing local and public information and thus ensuring agents' privacy and anonymity. Specifically, we focus on two social instruments: rewiring and observation. Our main goal is to provide agents with tools that allow them to leverage their social network of interactions while effectively addressing coordination and learning problems, paying special attention to dissolving metastable subconventions. The first experimental results show that even with the usage of the proposed instruments, convergence is not accelerated or even obtained in irregular networks. This result leads us to perform an exhaustive analysis of irregular networks discovering what we have defined as Self-Reinforcing Structures (SRS). The SRS are topological configurations of nodes that promote the establishment and persistence of subconventions by producing a continuous reinforcing effect on the frontier agents. Finally, we propose a more sophisticated composed social instrument (observation + rewiring) for robust resolution of subconventions, which works by the dissolution of the stable frontiers caused by the Self-Reinforcing Substructures (SRS) within the social network.