Authors:
Rubens A. Zimbres
1
;
Eliane P. Z. Brito
1
and
Pedro P. B. de Oliveira
2
Affiliations:
1
Centro de Ciências Sociais e Aplicadas, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Brazil
;
2
Faculdade de Computação e Informática, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Brazil
Keyword(s):
Cellular automaton, Dentistry, business network, social network, agent-based model, dynamics, evolution.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Systems
;
Coordination in Multi-Agent Systems
;
Enterprise Information Systems
Abstract:
The stability and evolution of networks is a research area that is not well explored. There is an inadequate focus to the partner characteristics and to the environment influence over the evolution process. This study analysed social network formation in its dynamic aspect through agent-based modeling, using cellular automata. Relationships and decisions were modeled. Along the interactions the emergence of consensus in the network could be observed and the results show that the more impulsive the individuals in a network, the stronger will be the ties among them. Convergence of partner selection criteria could also be noticed. Additionally, a structural hole could be shown to have a local influence on how it moves an agent away from the network. This work waves positively towards using cellular automata in social (in the case, business) networks modeling, in spite of their well-known limitations for these kinds of problems.