Abstract
The many-body dynamics exhibited by living objects include group formation within a population and the nonequilibrium process of attrition between two opposing populations due to competition or conflict. We show analytically and numerically that the combination of these two dynamical processes generates an attrition duration T whose nonlinear dependence on population asymmetry x is in stark contrast to standard mass-action theories. A minority population experiences a longer survival time than two equally balanced populations, irrespective of whether or not the majority population adopts such an internal grouping. Adding a third population with predefined group sizes allows T(x) to be tailored. Our findings compare favorably to real-world observations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 148701 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 103 |
| Issue number | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
Anomalously slow attrition times for asymmetric populations with internal group dynamics. / Zhao, Zhenyuan; Bohorquez, Juan Camilo; Dixon, Alex; Johnson, Neil F.
In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 103, No. 14, 148701, 02.10.2009.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Anomalously slow attrition times for asymmetric populations with internal group dynamics
AU - Zhao, Zhenyuan
AU - Bohorquez, Juan Camilo
AU - Dixon, Alex
AU - Johnson, Neil F
PY - 2009/10/2
Y1 - 2009/10/2
N2 - The many-body dynamics exhibited by living objects include group formation within a population and the nonequilibrium process of attrition between two opposing populations due to competition or conflict. We show analytically and numerically that the combination of these two dynamical processes generates an attrition duration T whose nonlinear dependence on population asymmetry x is in stark contrast to standard mass-action theories. A minority population experiences a longer survival time than two equally balanced populations, irrespective of whether or not the majority population adopts such an internal grouping. Adding a third population with predefined group sizes allows T(x) to be tailored. Our findings compare favorably to real-world observations.
AB - The many-body dynamics exhibited by living objects include group formation within a population and the nonequilibrium process of attrition between two opposing populations due to competition or conflict. We show analytically and numerically that the combination of these two dynamical processes generates an attrition duration T whose nonlinear dependence on population asymmetry x is in stark contrast to standard mass-action theories. A minority population experiences a longer survival time than two equally balanced populations, irrespective of whether or not the majority population adopts such an internal grouping. Adding a third population with predefined group sizes allows T(x) to be tailored. Our findings compare favorably to real-world observations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349932546&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70349932546&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.148701
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.148701
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70349932546
VL - 103
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
SN - 0031-9007
IS - 14
M1 - 148701
ER -