Heterophilious Dynamics Enhances Consensus

We review a general class of models for self-organized dynamics based on alignment. The dynamics of such systems is governed solely by interactions among individuals or “agents,” with the tendency to adjust to their “environmental averages.” This, in turn, leads to the formation of clusters, e.g., colonies of ants, flocks of birds, parties of people, rendezvous in mobile networks, etc. A natural question which arises in this context is to ask when and how clusters emerge through the self-alignment of agents, and what types of “rules of engagement” influence the formation of such clusters. Of particular interest to us are cases in which the self-organized behavior tends to concentrate into one cluster, reflecting a consensus of opinions, flocking of birds, fish, or cells, rendezvous of mobile agents, and, in general, concentration of other traits intrinsic to the dynamics. Many standard models for self-organized dynamics in social, biological, and physical sciences assume that the intensity of alignment in...