arXiv subjects

Stephen Devlin

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen Devlin.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Identifying group contributions in NBA lineups with spectral analysis

We address the question of how to quantify the contributions of groups of players to team success. Our approach is based on spectral analysis, a technique from algebraic signal processing, which has several appealing features. First, our analysis decomposes the team success signal into components that are naturally understood as the contributions of player groups of a given size: individuals, pairs, triples, fours, and full five-player lineups. Secondly, the decomposition is orthogonal so that contributions of a player group can be thought of as pure: Contributions attributed to a group of three, for example, have been separated from the lower-order contributions of constituent pairs and individuals. We present detailed a spectral analysis using NBA play-by-play data and show how this can be a practical tool in understanding lineup composition and utilization.

stat.AP↗

arXiv2009

A network criterion for the success of cooperation in an evolutionary prisoner's dilemma, and a variation on Hamilton's rule

We show that the success of cooperation in an evolutionary prisoner's dilemma on a complex network can be predicted by a simple, quantitative network analysis using mean field parameters. The criterion is shown to be accurate on a wide variety of networks with degree distributions ranging from regular to Poisson to scale-free. The network analysis uses a parameter that allows for comparisons of networks with both similar, and distinct, topologies. Furthermore, we establish the criterion here as a natural network analogue of Hamilton's classical rule for kin selection, despite arising in an entirely different context. The result is a network-based evolutionary rule for altruism that parallels Hamilton's genetic rule.

physics.soc-ph↗