Phase of Ising spins on modular networks analogous to social polarization

2009/03/31 by Subinay Dasgupta, Raj Kumar Pan, Sitabhra Sinha · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Chemistry #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Computer science #Condensed matter physics #Ising model #Ising spin #Modular design #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Phase transition #Physics #Plant and animal studies #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Spins #Statistical physics #cond-mat.dis-nn #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.soc-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.80.025101

published as Phys. Rev. E 80, 025101(R) (2009) · Published version, 4 pages, 4 figures

openalex publication_date 2009/08/07 · arxiv created 2009/08/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Coordination processes in complex systems can be related to the problem of collective ordering in networks, many of which have modular organization. Investigating the order-disorder transition for Ising spins on modular random networks, corresponding to consensus formation in society, we observe two distinct phases: (i) ordering within each module at a critical temperature followed by (ii) global ordering at a lower temperature. This indicates polarization of society into groups having contrary opinions can persist indefinitely even when mutual interactions between agents favor consensus.

Citations

• Community structure in social and biological networks
• Modularity produces small-world networks with dynamical time-scale separation
• Majority model on a network with communities
• The Strength of Weak Ties
• Modular networks emerge from multiconstraint optimization
• Uncovering the overlapping community structure of complex networks in nature and society

Cited by

• Optimal modularity for nucleation in a network-organized Ising model
• Complex ordering in spin networks: Critical role of adaptation rate for dynamically evolving interactions