Memory and self-induced shocks in an evolutionary population competing for limited resources.

We present a detailed discussion of the role played by memory, and the nature of self-induced shocks, in an evolutionary population competing for limited resources. Our study builds on a previously introduced multiagent system [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3360 (1999)] which has attracted significant attention in the literature. This system exhibits self-segregation of the population based on the "gene" value p (where 0< or =p< or =1 ), transitions to "frozen" populations as a function of the global resource level, and self-induced large changes which spontaneously arise as the dynamical system evolves. We find that the large, macroscopic self-induced shocks that arise are controlled by microscopic changes within extreme subgroups of the population (i.e., subgroups with "gene" values p approximately 0 and p approximately 1).