Coalescence model of rock-paper-scissors particles

Abstract

The rock–paper–scissors game, commonly played in East Asia, gives a simple model to understand physical, biological, psychological, and other problems. The interacting rock–paper–scissors particle system connects two models: the collision model (Maxwell and Boltzmann’s kinetic theory of gas) and the coalescence model (Smoluchowski’s coagulation theory). A 2s+1 type rock–paper–scissors collision model naturally introduces a nonlinear integrable Lotka–Volterra system. The time evolution of the coalescence model is obtained from the logarithmic time change of the collision model. We also discuss the behavior of a discrete rock–paper–scissors coalescence model.