| Abstract: | We propose a generalized framework for the study of voter models in complex networks at
the heterogeneous mean-field (HMF) level that (i) yields a unified picture for existing
copy/invasion processes and (ii) allows for the introduction of further heterogeneity
through degree-selectivity rules. In the context of the HMF approximation, our model is
capable of providing straightforward estimates for central quantities such as the exit
probability and the consensus/fixation time, based on the statistical properties of the
complex network alone. The HMF approach has the advantage of being readily applicable also
in those cases in which exact solutions are difficult to work out. Finally, the unified
formalism allows one to understand previously proposed voter-like processes as simple
limits of the generalized model. |
