Robustness of Cooperation on Highly Clustered Scale-Free Networks

Abstract

We study the effect of mutation on the evolutionary prisoner's dilemma in highly clustered scale-free networks. It is found that cooperation is more sensitive and vulnerable to strategy mutation in more highly clustered networks. For small mutation rates, high clustering coefficient promotes cooperation. For medium mutation rates, high clustering coefficient inhibits the emergence of cooperation. For large mutation rates, cooperation is insensitive to clustering property. We provide explanations for the effects of clustering on cooperation with varied mutation rates.