Network characteristics enabling efficient coordination: A simulation study

Abhimanyu Khan, Ronald Peeters*, Frank Thuijsman, Philippe Uyttendaele

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Using data generated by extensive simulations of a process where individuals interact globally in a coordination game and iteratively imitate the action of the most successful individual in their local neighbourhood, we study the characteristics of the observation network and distribution of initial choices that facilitate (a speedy) convergence to efficient coordination. Knowing these characteristics is crucial when intervening in social network structures with the intention to nudge society to a socially preferred outcome. The most important factor appears to be the share of individuals that are initially seeded with the socially desirable action. Only for a small window of this share, other factors, including the degree distribution in the network and the segregation of individuals using similar actions, have an influence on the dynamic process of achieving efficient coordination. Moreover, networks possessing the properties of a scale-free network aremore likely to yield an efficient outcome compared to small-world networks.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)495-519
Number of pages25
JournalDynamic Games and Applications
Volume6
Issue number4
Early online date25 Sept 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2016

Keywords

  • Coordination
  • Local imitation
  • Global random interaction
  • Networks
  • SMALL-WORLD NETWORKS
  • IMITATION
  • CONTAGION
  • DYNAMICS

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