Modeling opinion formation in the kinetic theory of active particles I : Spontaneous trend

The kinetic theory of active particles is used to model the formation and evolution of opinions in a structured population. The spatial structure is modeled by a network whose nodes mimic the geographic distribution of individuals, while the functional subsystems present in each node group together elements sharing a common orientation. In this paper we introduce a model, based on nonlinear and nonlinearly additive interactions among individuals, subsystems and nodes, related to the spontaneous evolution of opinion concerning given specific issues. Numerical solutions in a model situation not related with real data show how the mutual interactions are able to drive the subsystems opinion toward the emergence of collective structures characterizing this kind of complex systems.