Opinion formation on evolving network: the DPA method applied to a nonlocal cross-diffusion PDE-ODE system

Abstract

Abstract We study a system of nonlocal aggregation cross-diffusion PDEs that describe the evolution of opinion densities on a network. The PDEs are coupled with a system of ODEs that describe the time evolution of the agents on the network. Firstly, we apply the Deterministic Particle Approximation (DPA) method to the aforementioned system in order to prove the existence of solutions under suitable assumptions on the interactions between agents. Later on, we present an explicit model for opinion formation on an evolving network. The opinions evolve based on both the distance between the agents on the network and the ’attitude areas’, which depend on the distance between the agents’ opinions. The position of the agents on the network evolves based on the distance between the agents’ opinions. The goal is to study radicalisation, polarisation and fragmentation of the population while changing its open-mindedness and the radius of interaction.