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Robustness of critical points in a complex adaptive system: Effects of hedge behavior

Frontiers of Physics volume 8, pages 461–466 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

In our recent papers, we have identified a class of phase transitions in the market-directed resource-allocation game, and found that there exists a critical point at which the phase transitions occur. The critical point is given by a certain resource ratio. Here, by performing computer simulations and theoretical analysis, we report that the critical point is robust against various kinds of human hedge behavior where the numbers of herds and contrarians can be varied widely. This means that the critical point can be independent of the total number of participants composed of normal agents, herds and contrarians, under some conditions. This finding means that the critical points we identified in this complex adaptive system (with adaptive agents) may also be an intensive quantity, similar to those revealed in traditional physical systems (with non-adaptive units).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Yuan Liang  (梁源) & Ji-Ping Huang  (黄吉平)

  2. Department of Physics, College of Science, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201602, China

    Yuan Liang  (梁源)

Authors
  1. Yuan Liang  (梁源)
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  2. Ji-Ping Huang  (黄吉平)
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Correspondence to Ji-Ping Huang  (黄吉平).

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Liang, Y., Huang, JP. Robustness of critical points in a complex adaptive system: Effects of hedge behavior. Front. Phys. 8, 461–466 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-013-0339-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-013-0339-3

Keywords

  • complex adaptive system
  • phase transition
  • resource allocation
  • hedge behavior
  • agent-based simulation