Phase transitions in paradigm shift models.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 23951043.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0070928 and PMC identifier 3738637.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Two general models for paradigm shifts, deterministic propagation model (DM) and stochastic propagation model (SM), are proposed to describe paradigm shifts and the adoption of new technological levels. By defining the order parameter m based on the diversity of ideas, Δ, it is studied when and how the phase transition or the disappearance of a dominant paradigm occurs as a cost C in DM or an innovation probability α in SM increases. In addition, we also investigate how the propagation processes affect the transition nature. From analytical calculations and numerical simulations m is shown to satisfy the scaling relation m=1-f(C/N) for DM with the number of agents N. In contrast, m in SM scales as m=1-f(α(a)N).
Medical subject headings
- Phase Transition