Delay differential equation modeling of social contagion with higher-order interactions

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a social contagion model with group interactions on heterogeneous network, in which the group interactions are represented by incorporating higher-order terms. The dynamics of the proposed model are analyzed, revealing the effect of group interactions on the system dynamics. We derive a global asymptotically stability condition of the zero equilibrium point. If the parameters enhancement factor and transform probability meet the condition, the social contagion will eventually disappear. The bifurcation behavior arising from group interactions is investigated, when the enhancement factor exceeds a threshold, the system undergoes a backward bifurcation. This implies that R0<1 does not guarantee the disappearance of social contagion, we also need to control the initial values of social contagion at a lower level. The optimal control strategies for the model are provided. Moreover, the numerical simulations validate the accuracy of the theoretical analysis. It is worth noting that the group interactions lead to the emergence of a bistable phenomenon, in which the social contagion will either fade away or persist eventually, depending on the initial values.