• DOI:10.1073/pnas.0906263106
• Corpus ID: 10667340

Competition between collective and individual dynamics

@article{Grauwin2009CompetitionBC,
  title={Competition between collective and individual dynamics},
  author={Sebastian Grauwin and Eric Bertin and R{\'e}mi Lemoy and Pablo Jensen},
  journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
  year={2009},
  volume={106},
  pages={20622 - 20626}
}

• Sebastian Grauwin, E. Bertin, +1 author Pablo Jensen
• Published 13 July 2009
• Economics
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Linking microscopic and macroscopic behavior is at the heart of many natural and social sciences. This apparent similarity conceals essential differences across disciplines: Although physical particles are assumed to optimize the global energy, economic agents maximize their own utility. Here, we solve exactly a Schelling-like segregation model, which interpolates continuously between cooperative and individual dynamics. We show that increasing the degree of cooperativity induces a qualitative transition from a segregated phase of low utility toward a mixed phase of high utility. By introducing a simple function that links the individual and global levels, we pave the way to a rigorous approach of a wide class of systems, where dynamics are governed by individual strategies.