Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games
Abstract Agent-based simulations are essential for studying cooperation on spatial networks. However, finite-size effects—random fluctuations due to limited network sizes—can cause certain strategies to unexpectedly dominate or disappear, leading to unreliable outcomes. While enlarging network sizes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02120-2 |
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| _version_ | 1849310378787340288 |
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| author | Chen Shen Zhixue He Lei Shi Jun Tanimoto |
| author_facet | Chen Shen Zhixue He Lei Shi Jun Tanimoto |
| author_sort | Chen Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Agent-based simulations are essential for studying cooperation on spatial networks. However, finite-size effects—random fluctuations due to limited network sizes—can cause certain strategies to unexpectedly dominate or disappear, leading to unreliable outcomes. While enlarging network sizes or carefully preparing initial states can reduce these effects, both approaches require significant computational resources. In this study, we demonstrate that incorporating mutation into simulations on limited networks offers an effective and resource-efficient alternative. Using spatial optional public goods games and a more intricate tolerance-based variant, we find that rare mutations preserve inherently stable equilibria. When equilibria are affected by finite-size effects, introducing moderate mutation rates prevent finite-size-induced strategy dominance or extinction, producing results consistent with large-network simulations. Our findings position mutation as a practical tool for improving the reliability of agent-based models and emphasize the importance of mutation sensitivity analysis in managing finite-size effects across spatial networks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-564f453066094e5f8527ca1a8fdb99f4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-564f453066094e5f8527ca1a8fdb99f42025-08-20T03:53:46ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-05-01811810.1038/s42005-025-02120-2Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary gamesChen Shen0Zhixue He1Lei Shi2Jun Tanimoto3Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu UniversitySchool of Statistics and Mathematics, Yunnan University of Finance and EconomicsSchool of Statistics and Mathematics, Yunnan University of Finance and EconomicsFaculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu UniversityAbstract Agent-based simulations are essential for studying cooperation on spatial networks. However, finite-size effects—random fluctuations due to limited network sizes—can cause certain strategies to unexpectedly dominate or disappear, leading to unreliable outcomes. While enlarging network sizes or carefully preparing initial states can reduce these effects, both approaches require significant computational resources. In this study, we demonstrate that incorporating mutation into simulations on limited networks offers an effective and resource-efficient alternative. Using spatial optional public goods games and a more intricate tolerance-based variant, we find that rare mutations preserve inherently stable equilibria. When equilibria are affected by finite-size effects, introducing moderate mutation rates prevent finite-size-induced strategy dominance or extinction, producing results consistent with large-network simulations. Our findings position mutation as a practical tool for improving the reliability of agent-based models and emphasize the importance of mutation sensitivity analysis in managing finite-size effects across spatial networks.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02120-2 |
| spellingShingle | Chen Shen Zhixue He Lei Shi Jun Tanimoto Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games Communications Physics |
| title | Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| title_full | Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| title_fullStr | Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| title_short | Mutation mitigates finite-size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| title_sort | mutation mitigates finite size effects in spatial evolutionary games |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02120-2 |
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