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Level: MSci, MSc
Title: Voter model dynamics on complex networks
Supervisor:

Dr Vincenzo Nicosia
Research Area: Complex Systems and Networks
Description:

Imitation is one of the basic mechanisms through which consensus can emerge in a population of interacting agents. The voter model is a minimal mechanistic model of social imitation which presents interesting dynamical properties.

In this project the student will simulate the voter model in a variety of synthetic and real-world networks, will reproduce the analytic calculations to estimate the order parameter of the model in the thermodynamic limit and the typical time to reach the absorbing state in finite graphs, and will compare the numerics with the analytic predictions.
Further Reading:
  • C. Castellano, S. Fortunato, V. Loreto, Statistical physics of social dynamics, Reviews of Modern Physics 81 (2009) 591–646.
  • F. Vazquez, V. M. Eguíluz, Analytical solution of the voter model on uncorrelated networks, New Journal of Physics 10 (2008) 063011.
Key Modules:

MTH5121 Probability Models (desirable)

MTH6141 Random Processes (desirable)
Other Information:

The student is expected to possess a well-balanced mixture of analytic and computational skills (knowledge of C/C++/Python would be preferred, Matlab/Octave might be sufficient).
Current Availability: Yes