Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On the spread of information with time and distance

  • Published:
The bulletin of mathematical biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The transmission of some information or behavior pattern is treated as a flow of “particles” which execute random motions over a population of individuals and which may multiply or disappear. Equations are derived for the number density of these “particles” and from this is calculated the number of individuals through which the “particles” have passed. The results are applied to a number of situations such as 1) uniform spatial distribution with multiplication factor decreasing with time because of loss of interest or confusion of the information, 2) multiplication factor constant but the rate of spreal decreasing with multiple hearings, 3) one-dimensional region with a small starting region with or without an absorbing barrier 4) two-dimensional region with absorbing barrier, 5) continous sources of information within a small region in one dimension, 6) uniform spatial distribution in which individuals do not respond to more than one hearing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Landahl, H. D. 1952. “An Approximation Method for the Solution of Diffusion and Related Problems”Bull. Math. Biophysics,15, 49–61.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Landau, H. G.. 1952. “On Some Problems of Random Nets.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,14, 203–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landau, H. G. and A. Rapoport. 1953. “Contribution to the Mathematical Theory of Contagion and Spread of Information: I. Spread Through a Thoroughly Mixed Population.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,15, 173–83.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Patlak, C. S.. “Random Walk with Persistence and External Bias.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,15, 311–38.

  • Solomonoff, R. and A. Rapoport. 1951. “Connectivity of Random Nets.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,18, 107–17.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Committee on Mathematical Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    H. D. Landahl

Authors
  1. H. D. Landahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Landahl, H.D. On the spread of information with time and distance. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 15, 367–381 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476410

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476410

Keywords

Search

Navigation