On the reflected appraisals dynamics of influence networks with stubborn agents

This article focuses on the evolution of interpersonal influences in a group of stubborn individuals as they discuss a sequence of issues. Each individual opinion about a single issue is updated based upon the convex combination of the individual's current opinion, the neighbors' current opinion, and the individual's initial opinion; the attachment to the initial opinion characterizes how stubborn an individual is. To model the evolution of the influence network, we employ Friedkin's “reflected appraisal” model: each individual's self-weight on a new issue is determined by the individual's average influence and relative control on other individuals on prior issue outcomes. These modeling assumptions lead to a dynamical system for the evolution of self-weights. We establish the well-posedness and continuity of the proposed dynamics and prove the existence and uniqueness of equilibria for stubborn individuals. We then study the impact of network topology on the individuals' final self-weights. We prove the convergence of all system trajectories for the special case of doubly-stochastic networks and homogeneous stubbornness. We characterize equilibrium self-weights for systems with centralized networks and heterogeneous stubbornness. Finally, our numerical simulations illustrate how existence, uniqueness and attractivity of the equilibria holds true for general network topologies and stubbornness values.