Title data
Hegselmann, Rainer ; König, Stefan ; Kurz, Sascha ; Niemann, Christoph ; Rambau, Jörg:
Optimal Opinion Control: The Campaign Problem.
Universität Bayreuth
Bayreuth
,
2014
. - 40 S.

Abstract
We propose discrete-time models for the optimal control of continuous opinions of a finite number of individuals. Given a model of the dynamics of opinions, one individual can freely choose its advertised opinion in each stage, thereby gaining a controlled influence on the dynamics. Special attention is devoted to the bounded-confidence model, for which we point out some numerical instabilities, which is important for assessing the outcomes of simulations. We show that even in a small example system with eleven individuals and ten stages it is highly non-trivial to learn something rigorous about optimal controls. By means of mixed-integer linear programming we can characterize globally optimal controls. In the example case, we can use this to prove the optimality of some controls generated by a tailor-made heuristics. Investigations about the control population utilizing a genetic algorithm show strong evidence that optimal controls can be extremely hard to find among all controls. Controls generated by the popular generic feedback-principle of model predictive control can be significantly far from optimum, which underlines that more research is necessary to understand the structural properties of optimal controls.
Further data
Item Type: | Preprint, postprint |
---|---|
Keywords: | Hegselmann-Krause model; opinion dynamics; optimal control; campaign problem; optimization |
DDC Subjects: | 000 Computer Science, information, general works > 004 Computer science 100 Philosophy and psychology > 100 Philosophy 500 Science > 510 Mathematics |
Institutions of the University: | Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Mathematics Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Mathematics > Chair Mathematical Economics Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Mathematics > Chair Mathematical Economics > Chair Mathematical Economics - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jörg Rambau Faculties > Faculty of Law, Business and Economics Faculties > Faculty of Law, Business and Economics > Department of Business Administration Faculties > Faculty of Law, Business and Economics > Department of Business Administration > Chair Business Administration VII - Information Systems Management and Digital Society Faculties > Faculty of Cultural Studies Faculties > Faculty of Cultural Studies > Department of Philosophy > Professor Philosophy I Research Institutions Research Institutions > Research Centres Research Institutions > Research Centres > Forschungszentrum für Modellbildung und Simulation (MODUS) Faculties > Faculty of Cultural Studies > Department of Philosophy |
Language: | English |
Originates at UBT: | Yes |
URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-1779-5 |
Date Deposited: | 20 Nov 2014 11:52 |
Last Modified: | 06 Mar 2015 08:33 |
URI: | https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/1779 |
Available Versions of this Item
- Optimal Opinion Control: The Campaign Problem. (deposited 20 Nov 2014 11:52) [Currently Displayed]