Pulses, waves, and cascades in collective migration dynamics
Physics and Society
2026-06-29 v1 Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
Applied Physics
Abstract
Decisions to migrate depend on others' decisions. Dependence can produce nontrivial dynamics. We propose a minimal migration model that accounts for social influence alongside individual heterogeneity in mobility as migrants move from region to region. In special locations of parameter space, migrant flows dramatically and spontaneously fluctuate. Such aspects mimic observed fluctuations in migration statistics and thus show how large fluctuations in data can reflect more than response to events like armed conflict and natural disasters. Correspondingly, the impact of exogenous factors can be confounded with the results of collective decisions.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2606.30604,
title = {Pulses, waves, and cascades in collective migration dynamics},
author = {Niraj Kushwaha and Woi Sok Oh and Edward D. Lee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2606.30604},
year = {2026}
}