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Cultural Evolution in a Population of Heterogeneous Agents

In: The Complex Networks of Economic Interactions

Author

Listed:
  • Gábor Fáth

    (Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics
    INSEAD - Boulevard de Constance)

  • Miklos Sarvary

    (INSEAD - Boulevard de Constance)

Abstract

Summary A general theory of cultural evolution is formulated using a cognitive dimension reduction scheme. Rational but cognitively limited agents iteratively invent and redefine abstract concepts in order to best represent their natural and social environment. These concepts are used for decision making and determine the agents’ overall behavior. The collection of concepts an agent uses constitutes his/her cultural profile. As the importance of social interactions increase and/or agents become more intelligent we find a series of dynamical phase transitions by which the coherence of concepts advances in the society. Our model explains the so-called “cultural explosion” in human evolution 50,000 years ago as a spontaneous ordering phenomenon of the individual mental representations.

Suggested Citation

  • Gábor Fáth & Miklos Sarvary, 2006. "Cultural Evolution in a Population of Heterogeneous Agents," Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, in: Akira Namatame & Taisei Kaizouji & Yuuji Aruka (ed.), The Complex Networks of Economic Interactions, pages 193-205, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:lnechp:978-3-540-28727-8_13
    DOI: 10.1007/3-540-28727-2_13
    as

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