Modeling competitive evolution of multiple languages

Abstract

Increasing evidence demonstrates that in many places language coexistence has become ubiquitous and essential for supporting language and cultural diversity and associated with its financial and economic benefits. The competitive evolution among multiple languages determines the evolution outcome, either coexistence, or decline, or extinction. Here, we extend the Abrams-Strogatz model of language competition to multiple languages and then validate it by analyzing the behavioral transitions of language usage over the recent several decades in Singapore and Hong Kong. In each case, we estimate from data the model parameters that measure each language utility for its speakers and the strength of two biases, the majority preference for their language, and the minority aversion to it. The values of these two biases decide which language is the fastest growing in the competition and what would be the stable state of the system. We also study the system convergence time to stable states and discover the existence of tipping points with multiple attractors. Moreover, the critical slowdown of convergence to the stable fractions of language users appears near and peaks at the tipping points, signaling when the system approaches them. Our analysis furthers our understanding of evolution of various languages and the role of tipping points in behavioral transitions. These insights may help to protect languages from extinction and retain the language and cultural diversity.

Seasonal Variation and Source Identification of PM10 in an Industrialized City

“…[ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites. [ 50 ] However, the factor identification is purely based on the metal content obtained at the location limiting the ability to apportion secondary sources such as nitrate, sulfate, and secondary organics. It is likely that secondary sources are mixed with primary ones leading to the reduction in overall PMF performance.…”

“…[ 97,98 ] Iron and steel production, according to the WHO, is a substantial source to air pollution in emerging countries because a constant supply of steel is required for industrialization. [ 50 ] Potential source of Pb is also from industrial operations. [ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites.…”

“…[ 13,33,47 ] Significant health risk is posed by a range of toxic metals in particulates released from iron and steel industries. [ 50 ] One of the crucial steps toward reducing heavy metal pollution is source apportionment to identify the contributing sources. [ 51 ] Also, due to environmental laws, the assessed air pollutants, such as As, Cd, Ni, PM 10 , and Pb, at Copso‐Mica‐a town in Romania, exhibited a decreasing trend during the studied years.…”

Seasonal Variation and Source Identification of PM10 in an Industrialized City

“…[ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites. [ 50 ] However, the factor identification is purely based on the metal content obtained at the location limiting the ability to apportion secondary sources such as nitrate, sulfate, and secondary organics. It is likely that secondary sources are mixed with primary ones leading to the reduction in overall PMF performance.…”

“…[ 97,98 ] Iron and steel production, according to the WHO, is a substantial source to air pollution in emerging countries because a constant supply of steel is required for industrialization. [ 50 ] Potential source of Pb is also from industrial operations. [ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites.…”

“…[ 13,33,47 ] Significant health risk is posed by a range of toxic metals in particulates released from iron and steel industries. [ 50 ] One of the crucial steps toward reducing heavy metal pollution is source apportionment to identify the contributing sources. [ 51 ] Also, due to environmental laws, the assessed air pollutants, such as As, Cd, Ni, PM 10 , and Pb, at Copso‐Mica‐a town in Romania, exhibited a decreasing trend during the studied years.…”

Language competition on lattices

“…35 assume a diffusion process to take into account spatial effects. Fujie et al 13 and Zhou et al 36 consider the problem of competition among more than two languages.…”

Seasonal Variation and Source Identification of PM10 in an Industrialized City

“…[ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites. [ 50 ] However, the factor identification is purely based on the metal content obtained at the location limiting the ability to apportion secondary sources such as nitrate, sulfate, and secondary organics. It is likely that secondary sources are mixed with primary ones leading to the reduction in overall PMF performance.…”

“…[ 97,98 ] Iron and steel production, according to the WHO, is a substantial source to air pollution in emerging countries because a constant supply of steel is required for industrialization. [ 50 ] Potential source of Pb is also from industrial operations. [ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites.…”

“…[ 13,33,47 ] Significant health risk is posed by a range of toxic metals in particulates released from iron and steel industries. [ 50 ] One of the crucial steps toward reducing heavy metal pollution is source apportionment to identify the contributing sources. [ 51 ] Also, due to environmental laws, the assessed air pollutants, such as As, Cd, Ni, PM 10 , and Pb, at Copso‐Mica‐a town in Romania, exhibited a decreasing trend during the studied years.…”

Language competition on lattices

“…35 assume a diffusion process to take into account spatial effects. Fujie et al 13 and Zhou et al 36 consider the problem of competition among more than two languages.…”

Seasonal Variation and Source Identification of PM10 in an Industrialized City

“…[ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites. [ 50 ] However, the factor identification is purely based on the metal content obtained at the location limiting the ability to apportion secondary sources such as nitrate, sulfate, and secondary organics. It is likely that secondary sources are mixed with primary ones leading to the reduction in overall PMF performance.…”

“…[ 97,98 ] Iron and steel production, according to the WHO, is a substantial source to air pollution in emerging countries because a constant supply of steel is required for industrialization. [ 50 ] Potential source of Pb is also from industrial operations. [ 99 ] Cr concentrations are reported in PM near industrial sites.…”

“…[ 13,33,47 ] Significant health risk is posed by a range of toxic metals in particulates released from iron and steel industries. [ 50 ] One of the crucial steps toward reducing heavy metal pollution is source apportionment to identify the contributing sources. [ 51 ] Also, due to environmental laws, the assessed air pollutants, such as As, Cd, Ni, PM 10 , and Pb, at Copso‐Mica‐a town in Romania, exhibited a decreasing trend during the studied years.…”

Language competition on lattices

“…35 assume a diffusion process to take into account spatial effects. Fujie et al 13 and Zhou et al 36 consider the problem of competition among more than two languages.…”