Phase transitions and non-equilibrium relaxation in kinetic models of opinion formation

We review in details some recently proposed kinetic models of opinion dynamics. We discuss the several variants including a generalised model. We provide mean field estimates for the critical points, which are numerically supported with reasonable accuracy. Using non-equilibrium relaxation techniques, we also investigate the nature of phase transitions observed in these models. We study the nature of correlations as the critical points are approached, and comment on the universality of the phase transitions observed.

💡 Research Summary

This paper provides a comprehensive study of several kinetic opinion‑formation models that have been proposed in recent years, focusing on their phase‑transition behavior and the dynamics of relaxation toward equilibrium. The core model, often referred to as the LCCC model (after Lallouac, Chakrabarti, and Chatterjee), treats each individual’s opinion as a continuous variable o_i∈