Kinetic Description of Opinion Evolution in Multi-agent Systems: Analytic Model and Simulations

In this paper we consider multi-agent systems where interactions among agents are modeled using a kinetic approach. While kinetic theory aims at studying macroscopic properties of gases starting from microscopic interactions among molecules, we are interested in modeling the global behaviour of multi-agent systems on the basis of local interactions among pairs of agents. In particular, here we study the dynamics of opinion formation. Given a microscopic description of each single interaction, we derive stationary profiles for the global opinion. Analytic results are validated by simulations obtained by implementing the proposed theoretical model.