Emergence and evolution of multiple clusters of attracting agents (Q979116)

The paper investigates a multi-agent (infinite number of agents) system with dynamics governed by the PDE: \[ \frac{\partial x}{\partial t}=b+\int_{-\infty}^\infty g(b')f\left(x(b', t)-x(b, t)\right)\text{d}b'. \] The saturating attractive interactions between non-identical agents, characterized by a multimodal distribution of their natural velocities, lead to the emergence of clusters. There are derived expressions that characterize the clusters, and asymptotic velocities of the agents and the critical value for the coupling strength under which no clustering can occur. For the particular case of a symmetric and unimodal distribution of the natural velocities, the relationship with the Kuramoto model of coupled oscillators is highlighted. While in the generic case the emergence of a cluster corresponds to a second-order phase transition, for a specific choice of the natural velocity distribution a first order phase transition may occur, a phenomenon recently observed in the Kuramoto model. As an illustration of its potential the model can be applied to the dynamic process of opinion formation.