2025/11/24 by Murugan, Jeff
#FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Economics and business #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Information Theory (cs.IT) #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Theoretical Economics (econ.TH)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2511.18733
Information transmitted across modern communication platforms is degraded not only by intentional manipulation (disinformation) but also by intrinsic cognitive decay and topology-dependent social averaging (misinformation). We develop a continuous-fidelity field theory on multiplex networks with distinct layers representing private chats, group interactions, and broadcast channels. Our analytic solutions reveal three universal mechanisms controlling information quality: (i) groupthink blending, where dense group coupling drives fidelity to the initial group mean; (ii) bridge-node bottlenecks, where cross-community flow produces irreversible dilution; and (iii) a network-wide fidelity landscape set by a competition between broadcast truth-injection and structural degradation pathways. These results demonstrate that connectivity can reduce information integrity and establish quantitative control strategies to enhance fidelity in large-scale communication systems.