Cristian Spitoni
As a researcher at the Mathematical Department of Utrecht University (the Netherlands), Dr. Spitoni is engaged with the fundamental aspects of opinion dynamics.
Title — Topology, noise, and parallel updates in circular opinion dynamics.
Keywords — Opinion dynamics · Topological winding states · Bi-modal noise · Symmetry breaking
Abstract — We study a circular opinion dynamics model with local midpoint interactions, extended to allow parallel updates of multiple sites. On a ring, the dynamics admits twisted states associated with integer winding numbers. We investigate how bi-modal noise, which drives opinions toward two antipodal directions, affects these configurations. Numerically, we find that noise both destabilizes winding states and induces a spin–flop regime, characterized by macroscopic switching between preferred orientations. We introduce order parameters that distinguish topological trapping from symmetry breaking, providing a simple macroscopic description of the dynamics.