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Coevolution of strategies and interactions in donation games on a square lattice

Balázs Király and György Szabó

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Phys. Rev. E 114, 044302 – Published 1 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/t3zw-cs6c

Abstract

The coevolution of strategies and interactions is investigated with players located on a square lattice with interactions between first and second neighbors. The pair interactions are described by two-strategy (cooperation or defection) donation games with variable cost and benefit parameters for each player. During the evolutionary process, the players can adopt strategy or payoff parameters from one of their neighbors with a payoff-dependent probability. Numerical simulations indicate the formation of homogeneous defection or cooperation depending on the initial strategy and payoff distributions. The introduction of weak and rare mutations in the payoff adoption proves beneficial for the cooperative state, in which it increases the average payoff linearly in time. In contrast, the population cannot capitalize on the possibility of innovations in its defective state.

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Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. E 114, 044302– Published 1 October, 2026
  • Received 23 July 2026
  • Revised 31 August 2026
  • Accepted 11 September 2026
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