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Modeling propagation competition between hostile influential groups using opinion dynamics

Modellierung des Wettbewerbs in der Verbreitung zwischen feindlichen einflussreichen Gruppen unter Verwendung der Meinungsdynamik
  • Yuhong Chen

    Yuhong Chen received a B.Eng. degree and a M.Sc. degree in control theory and engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, in 2017 and 2019 respectively. She is currently working toward the Ph.D. degree with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Her current research interests include modeling, analysis, and control on social networks.

    , Cong Li

    Cong Li received the Ph.D. degree in learning-based control and robotics with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. He was also a Research Associate with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich. His research interests include reinforcement learning, optimal control, robust control, constraint optimization, and robotics.

    , Fangzhou Liu

    Fangzhou Liu received the M.Sc. degree in control theory and engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, in 2014 and the Doktor-Ingenieur degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, in 2019. He was a Lecturer and a Research Fellow with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich. He is currently a Full Professor with the School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology. His current research interests include networked control systems, modeling, analysis, and control on social networks, reinforcement learning and their applications. Dr. Liu has received the Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize and the Promotionspreis der Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik.

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    and Martin Buss

    Martin Buss received the Diploma Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, in 1990, and the Doctor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, in 1994. His research interests include automatic control, mechatronics, multimodal human system interfaces, optimization, nonlinear, and hybrid discrete-continuous systems. He has been awarded the ERC Advanced Grant SHRINE.

Abstract

We model the propagation competition between hostile groups as an opinion dynamic game. The model is based on a variant of the DeGroot model. In the cost function, we considered the regulation from the platform and the intention to nudge the opponent against the regulation. Considering the unavailability of network relations, we use reinforcement learning to search for the feedback strategy of both parties. In the simulation, we verified the effectiveness of this method and showed that the stricter the platform regulation, the more conducive to the formation of consensus.

Zusammenfassung

Wir modellieren den Wettbewerb in der Verbreitung zwischen feindlichen Gruppen als ein Meinungsdynamik-Spiel. Das Modell basiert auf einer Variante des DeGroot-Modells. In der Kostenfunktion berücksichtigen wir die Regulierung durch die Plattform und die Absicht, den Gegner gegen die Regulierung zu beeinflussen. Das Problem wird als Differenzspiel formuliert. Angesichts der Nichtverfügbarkeit von Netzwerkbeziehungen verwenden wir verstärkendes Lernen, um die Rückkopplungsstrategie beider Parteien zu lösen. In der Simulation haben wir die Wirksamkeit dieser Methode überprüft und gezeigt, dass strengere Plattformregulierungen eher zur Bildung von Konsens beitragen.


Corresponding author: Fangzhou Liu, National Key Laboratory of Modeling and Simulation for Complex Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, E-mail:

Yuhong Chen and Cong Li Common first authors.


Funding source: National Science Foundation of China

Award Identifier / Grant number: 62373123

About the authors

Yuhong Chen

Yuhong Chen received a B.Eng. degree and a M.Sc. degree in control theory and engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, in 2017 and 2019 respectively. She is currently working toward the Ph.D. degree with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Her current research interests include modeling, analysis, and control on social networks.

Cong Li

Cong Li received the Ph.D. degree in learning-based control and robotics with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. He was also a Research Associate with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich. His research interests include reinforcement learning, optimal control, robust control, constraint optimization, and robotics.

Fangzhou Liu

Fangzhou Liu received the M.Sc. degree in control theory and engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, in 2014 and the Doktor-Ingenieur degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, in 2019. He was a Lecturer and a Research Fellow with the Chair of Automatic Control Engineering, Technical University of Munich. He is currently a Full Professor with the School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology. His current research interests include networked control systems, modeling, analysis, and control on social networks, reinforcement learning and their applications. Dr. Liu has received the Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize and the Promotionspreis der Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik.

Martin Buss

Martin Buss received the Diploma Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, in 1990, and the Doctor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, in 1994. His research interests include automatic control, mechatronics, multimodal human system interfaces, optimization, nonlinear, and hybrid discrete-continuous systems. He has been awarded the ERC Advanced Grant SHRINE.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Yilin Wang for helping conduct numerical validations.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Research funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (62373123).

  5. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2023-10-31
Accepted: 2024-06-07
Published Online: 2025-01-06
Published in Print: 2025-01-29

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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