Multitopic Belief Formation Through Bifurcations Over Signed Social Networks

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bizyaeva, Anastasia; Franci, Alessio; Leonard, Naomi Ehrich
• 署名单位: Cornell University; University of Liege; Princeton University
• 刊物名称: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AUTOMATIC CONTROL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0018-9286
• DOI: 10.1109/TAC.2025.3538979
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 5082-5097
• 关键词: bifurcation; Social networking (online); Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions; Analytical models; vectors; switches; mathematical models; Adaptation models; PSYCHOLOGY; Brain modeling; Belief dynamics; belief system; bifurcation; collective decision-making; multiagent systems; networked control systems; Nonlinear systems; opinion dynamics; signed networks

摘要

In this article, we propose and analyze a nonlinear dynamic model of continuous-time multidimensional belief formation over signed social networks. Our model accounts for the effects of a structured belief system, self-appraisal, internal biases, and various sources of cognitive dissonance posited by recent theories in social psychology. We prove that agents become opinionated as a consequence of a bifurcation. We analyze how the balance of social network effects in the model controls the nature of the bifurcation and, therefore, the belief-forming limit-set solutions. Our analysis provides constructive conditions on how multistable network belief equilibria and belief oscillations emerging at a belief-forming bifurcation depend on the communication network graph and belief system network graph. Our model and analysis provide new theoretical insights on the dynamics of social systems and a new principled framework for designing decentralized decision-making on engineered networks in the presence of structured relationships among alternatives.