Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv · physics/0702076

Phase transitions in social sciences: two-populations mean field theory

Abstract

A new mean field statistical mechanics model of two interacting groups of spins is introduced and the phase transition studied in terms of their relative size. A jump of the average magnetization is found for large values of the mutual interaction when the relative percentage of the two populations crosses a critical threshold. It is shown how the critical percentage depends on internal interactions and on the initial magnetizations. The model is interpreted as a prototype of resident-immigrant cultural interaction and conclusions from the social sciences perspectives are drawn.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Pierluigi Contucci, Ignacio Gallo, Giulia Menconi. 2007-03-30. Phase transitions in social sciences: two-populations mean field theory. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0217979208039423

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

A Jump-Diffusion Model of Home Price Dynamics and Neighborhood Change

We develop a dynamical model that links the fluctuations of individual home prices to changes in the full distribution of home prices in an urban area. We model the price of an individual home as a jump-diffusion stochastic differential equation. To capture the dynamic and hyper-local economic conditions that drive the residential real estate market, we allow all parameters to depend on both time and neighborhood. In the mean-field limit, we derive the associated Fokker-Planck partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) governing the evolution of the home price distribution in a neighborhood. We quantify spatial heterogeneity within a city by using the Wasserstein-2 distance to compare home price distributions across the city's neighborhoods. We validate our model using data from Boston, Massachusetts as a case study.

physics.soc-ph↗

Asynchronous Barter, Periodic Reconciliation: Evidence for a Scale-Free Commercial Network in the Indus Valley Civilization

The Harappan Civilization (c.\ 2600--1900 BCE) achieved extraordinary standardization across a vast region without clear evidence of centralized rule. We propose that it was a merchant commonwealth organized as a scale-free commercial network, with AP2PBS (Asynchronous Peer-to-Peer Barter Settlement) and the Unicorn Logistics Cartel (ULC) serving as inferential model labels for its coordinating institutions. Four lines of evidence support this interpretation. (1) \textbf{Statistical}: Unicorn $α\approx 1.8$, offering stand with a power-law distribution with $α\approx 2.3$--$2.6$, while seal counts at sites follow $α\approx 1.55$; all fit heavy-tailed power-law better than exponential alternatives. (2) \textbf{Attribute correlations}: non-random associations between offering stands and anatomical attributes, including Cramér's V patterns across market tiers, are consistent with deliberate institutional design of visual confirmation bundles. (3) \textbf{Archaeological}: seal evolution, contextual distributions, and warehouse logistics support the operational requirements of long-distance asynchronous exchange. (4) \textbf{Architectural}: Mohenjo-daro's halls, bath, warehouses, and cart-compatible gridiron are consistent with infrastructure for commerce and coordination. Taken together, these findings are consistent with AP2PBS and ULC as models of how independent participants could standardize authentication, exchange value asynchronously, and coordinate across distance without a hierarchical state. Scale-free topology also offers a testable explanation for both Harappan longevity and its vulnerability to hub failure and cascading decline. The argument is inferential: the archaeological record does not directly identify AP2PBS or ULC by name, but its statistical, material, and architectural patterns are compatible with this decentralized commercial model.

physics.soc-ph↗

Hurricane recovery gaps lie in reconnection, not local restart

Climate-intensified hurricanes disrupt urban mobility, yet whether recovery is equitable across the rural-urban gradient is unclear. Analyzing device-based mobility for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we find local activity restarted within approximately 4.5 days in both storms, whereas reconnection to the outside world took 5 days in coastal-urban Florida but 11 in inland-rural Appalachia. The gap lies in external reconnection, not local restart, implying planners should target rural isolation.

physics.soc-ph↗