Finite-size effect in the Eguíluz and Zimmermann model of herd formation and information transmission

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2002 Apr;65(4 Pt 2A):046130. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.65.046130. Epub 2002 Apr 5.

Abstract

The Eguíluz and Zimmermann model of information transmission and herd formation in a financial market is studied analytically. Starting from a formal description on the rate of change of the system from one partition of agents in the system to another, a mean-field theory is systematically developed. The validity of the mean-field theory is carefully studied against fluctuations. When the number of agents N is sufficiently large and the probability of making a transaction a<<1/N ln N, finite-size effect is found to be significant. In this case, the system has a large probability of becoming a single cluster containing all the agents. For small clusters of agents, the cluster size distribution still obeys a power law but with a much reduced magnitude. The exponent is found to be modified to the value of -3 by the fluctuation effects from the value of -5/2 in the mean-field theory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Analysis
  • Information Theory*
  • Models, Econometric
  • Models, Psychological*