Aggregation is the key to succeed in random walks

作者：Hernandez Suarez Carlos M^*

来源：Mathematical Biosciences, 2016, 279: 33-37.

DOI：10.1016/j.mbs.2016.06.011

• Cooperative random walk
• Random walk
• Collective behavior

In a random walk (RW) in Z an individual starts at 0 and moves at discrete unitary steps to the right or left with respective probabilities p and 1 - p. Assuming p > 1/2 and finite a, a > 1, the probability that state a will be reached before -a is Q(a, p) where Q(a, p) > p. Here we introduce the cooperative random walk (CRW) involving two individuals that move independently according to a RW each but dedicate a fraction of time theta to approach the other one unit. This simple strategy seems to be effective in increasing the expected number of individuals arriving to a first. We conjecture that this is a possible underlying mechanism for efficient animal migration under noisy conditions.

• 出版日期2016-9