A Geometric Model of Opinion Polarization

We introduce a simple, geometric model of opinion polarization. It is a model of political persuasion, as well as marketing and advertising, utilizing social values. It focuses on the interplay between different topics and wide-reaching persuasion efforts in the media. We demonstrate that societal opinion polarization in our model often arises as an unintended byproduct of organizations attempting to sell a product or idea. We discuss some exploratory examples, analyzing how polarization occurs and evolves. We also examine some computational aspects of choosing the most effective means of influencing agents in our model, and the connections of those strategic considerations with polarization.

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