Predicting language diversity with complex networks

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 4; p. e0196593
• Main Authors: Raducha, Tomasz, Gubiec, Tomasz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.04.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Biology and Life Sciences; Coevolution; Computer and Information Sciences; Computer simulation; Dialects; Empirical analysis; Evolution; History; Islands; Language; Language and languages; Linguistics; Mathematical models; Multilingualism; Numerical simulations; Online databases; People and places; Physics; Qualitative analysis; Rewiring; Social factors; Social interactions; Social networks; Social Sciences; Society; Statistical analysis; Statistical mechanics; Topology; Poland; Solomon Islands
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196593

We analyze the model of social interactions with coevolution of the topology and states of the nodes. This model can be interpreted as a model of language change. We propose different rewiring mechanisms and perform numerical simulations for each. Obtained results are compared with the empirical data gathered from two online databases and anthropological study of Solomon Islands. We study the behavior of the number of languages for different system sizes and we find that only local rewiring, i.e. triadic closure, is capable of reproducing results for the empirical data in a qualitative manner. Furthermore, we cancel the contradiction between previous models and the Solomon Islands case. Our results demonstrate the importance of the topology of the network, and the rewiring mechanism in the process of language change.