Influential node control strategy for opinion evolution on social networks

Abstract

We study opinion dynamics in social networks and present a new strategy to control the invasive opinion. A developed continuous-opinion evolution model is proposed to describe the mechanism of making decision in closed community. Two basic strategies of evolution are determined, and some basic features of our new model are analyzed. We study the different invasive strategies. It is shown via using Monte Carlo simulations that our new model shows different invulnerability with traditional model. Node degree and cohesion in invasive small-world community plays less significant role when the evolution of opinion is continuous rather than dichotomous. Using simulation, we find one kind of Influential Nodes that can affect the outcome dramatically, while these Influential Nodes are sensitive to their node degree and the evolution weight. Thus, we develop invasive control strategy based on these features. © 2013 Cheng Ju et al.