IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/chsofr/v202y2026ip1s0960077925014328.html

Utilizing structured population networks to explore cross-border minority language phase transition

Author

Listed:
  • Gao, Ya
  • Shah, Kamil
  • Li, Meng
  • Liu, Wenqi

Abstract

A deep understanding of the process of language transmission in group behavior is necessary for a correct understanding of group behavior transmission and protection of endangered languages. However, language transmission is not influenced by the environment, also by the behavior of individuals, such as human contact, and the speed of language learning. To capture these influences, we propose a minority language transmission model, which includes two key parameters: contact conversion rate (CCR) and language retention rate (LRR), to address the dynamic issues of the interaction of multiple factors. Analysis reveals that the critical nature and phase transition behavior of language transmission depend on parameter variations. Specifically, the threshold between absorbing and active states shows nonlinear features under different conditions. Simulations indicate that when CCR exceeds a threshold, language transmission efficiency rises sharply, producing a language explosion phenomenon. Higher LRR also increases diffusion likelihood. We validate the model using network data from ethnic areas and estimate real-world transmission thresholds. These findings confirm phase transition behavior in language diffusion and suggest that under favorable conditions, languages can spread rapidly within groups, offering insights for practical language preservation. This study provides theoretical tools for language promotion strategies and contributes to maintaining linguistic diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Gao, Ya & Shah, Kamil & Li, Meng & Liu, Wenqi, 2026. "Utilizing structured population networks to explore cross-border minority language phase transition," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 202(P1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:202:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077925014328
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2025.117419
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960077925014328
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.chaos.2025.117419?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William J. Sutherland, 2003. "Parallel extinction risk and global distribution of languages and species," Nature, Nature, vol. 423(6937), pages 276-279, May.
    2. Evelina Fedorenko & Steven T. Piantadosi & Edward A. F. Gibson, 2024. "Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought," Nature, Nature, vol. 630(8017), pages 575-586, June.
    3. Anna D. Broido & Aaron Clauset, 2019. "Scale-free networks are rare," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Chengkun Yang & Xiaoxi Zhang & Shi Yan & Sizhe Yang & Baihui Wu & Fengshuo You & Yue Cui & Ni Xie & Zhiyi Wang & Li Jin & Shuhua Xu & Menghan Zhang, 2024. "Large-scale lexical and genetic alignment supports a hybrid model of Han Chinese demic and cultural diffusions," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(6), pages 1163-1176, June.
    5. Mariamo Mussa Juane & Luis F. Seoane & Alberto P. Muñuzuri & Jorge Mira, 2019. "Urbanity and the dynamics of language shift in Galicia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Daniel M. Abrams & Steven H. Strogatz, 2003. "Modelling the dynamics of language death," Nature, Nature, vol. 424(6951), pages 900-900, August.
    7. Zhu, Xuzhen & Liu, Yuxin & Wang, Shengfeng & Wang, Ruijie & Chen, Xiaolong & Wang, Wei, 2021. "Allocating resources for epidemic spreading on metapopulation networks," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 411(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bakalis, Evangelos & Galani, Alexandra, 2012. "Modeling language evolution: Aromanian, an endangered language in Greece," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 391(20), pages 4963-4969.
    2. Saavedra, Martín & Mira, Jorge & Muñuzuri, Alberto P. & Seoane, Luís F., 2023. "A spectrum of complexity uncovers Dunbar’s number and other leaps in social structure," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    3. Luís F. Seoane & Xaquín Loredo & Henrique Monteagudo & Jorge Mira, 2019. "Is the coexistence of Catalan and Spanish possible in Catalonia?," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Nie, Lin-Fei & Teng, Zhi-Dong & Nieto, Juan J. & Jung, Il Hyo, 2015. "State impulsive control strategies for a two-languages competitive model with bilingualism and interlinguistic similarity," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 430(C), pages 136-147.
    5. Goldrosen, Nicholas, 2024. "Is corrections officers' use of illegal force networked? Network structure, brokerage, and key players in the New York City Department of Correction," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Vinayak, & Raghuvanshi, Adarsh & kshitij, Avinash, 2023. "Signatures of capacity development through research collaborations in artificial intelligence and machine learning," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    7. Heather Williams & Andrew Scharf & Anna R. Ryba & D. Ryan Norris & Daniel J. Mennill & Amy E. M. Newman & Stéphanie M. Doucet & Julie C. Blackwood, 2022. "Cumulative cultural evolution and mechanisms for cultural selection in wild bird songs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Kaushik Gala & Andreas Schwab, 2026. "A Methodological Guide for Quantitative Analysis of Star Performance in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 50(3), pages 931-973, May.
    9. Ayan Sengupta & Soham Das & Md. Shad Akhtar & Tanmoy Chakraborty, 2024. "Social, economic, and demographic factors drive the emergence of Hinglish code-mixing on social media," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Martins, Francisco Leonardo Bezerra & do Nascimento, José Cláudio, 2022. "Power law dynamics in genealogical graphs," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 596(C).
    11. Fleming, Sean W., 2021. "Scale-free networks, 1/f dynamics, and nonlinear conflict size scaling from an agent-based simulation model of societal-scale bilateral conflict and cooperation," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 567(C).
    12. Vicky Chuqiao Yang & Tamara van der Does & Henrik Olsson, 2021. "Falling through the cracks: Modeling the formation of social category boundaries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-11, March.
    13. Wang, Juquan & Han, Dun, 2023. "Epidemic spreading on metapopulation networks considering indirect contact," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 619(C).
    14. Peralta, Antonio F. & Khalil, Nagi & Toral, Raúl, 2020. "Ordering dynamics in the voter model with aging," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 552(C).
    15. repec:plo:pone00:0008681 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Nicolas Victor Noak & Lance Christian, 2025. "Exploring spatial network structures in entrepreneurial ecosystems: a network and clustering analysis of global venture funding flows," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 1483-1500, October.
    17. Eminente, Clara & Artime, Oriol & De Domenico, Manlio, 2022. "Interplay between exogenous triggers and endogenous behavioral changes in contagion processes on social networks," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1).
    18. Shang, Yilun, 2021. "Generalized k-cores of networks under attack with limited knowledge," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    19. Wang, Ning-Ning & Qiu, Shui-Han & Zhong, Xiao Wen & Di, Zeng-Ru, 2023. "Epidemic thresholds identification of susceptible-infected-recovered model based on the Eigen Microstate," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 449(C).
    20. Jiang, Jiehui & Ma, Jie, 2023. "Dynamic analysis of pandemic cross-regional transmission considering quarantine strategies in the context of limited medical resources," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 450(C).
    21. Amit Kumar Srivastava & Rajhans Mishra, 2025. "What is my privacy score? Measuring users’ privacy on social networking websites," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 3427-3450, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:202:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077925014328. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Thayer, Thomas R. (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/chaos-solitons-and-fractals .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.