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# Resisting influence: How the strength of predispositions to resist control can change strategies for optimal opinion control in the voter model

Brede, Markus, Restocchi, Valerio and Stein, Sebastian (2018) Resisting influence: How the strength of predispositions to resist control can change strategies for optimal opinion control in the voter model. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5 (34).

Record type: Article

## Abstract

In this paper we investigate influence maximization, or optimal opinion control, in a modified version of the two-state voter dynamics in which a native state and a controlled or influenced state are accounted for. We include agent predispositions to resist influence in the form of a probability $q$ with which agents spontaneously switch back to the native state when in the controlled state. We argue that in contrast to the original voter model, optimal control in this setting depends on $q$: For low strength of predispositions $q$ optimal control should focus on hub nodes, but for large $q$ optimal control can be achieved by focusing on the lowest degree nodes. We investigate this transition between hub and low-degree node control for heterogeneous undirected networks and give analytical and numerical arguments for the existence of two control regimes.

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Accepted/In Press date: 14 March 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 April 2018

## Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 418794
URI: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/418794
PURE UUID: a1dbc70f-85aa-4623-a245-da878e796da5

## Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Mar 2018 17:30

## Contributors

Author: Markus Brede
Author: Valerio Restocchi
Author: Sebastian Stein