Evolution of cooperation in populations with heterogeneous multiplicative resource dynamics

Abstract

In the pooling and sharing mechanism of multiplicatively grown individual resources, the evolution of cooperation is uniquely determined by the physical traits of the population. If the entities in the population exhibit homogeneous traits, cooperation is always favored. However, if there is heterogeneity within the population, the evolution of cooperation is dependent on both the interaction structure and the decision making rules implemented by the entities. Here, we perform a detailed analysis on the role of the interaction structures in the evolutionary stability of cooperation in heterogeneous multiplicative environments. We utilize this analysis to examine the applicability of a simple state-based decision making rule in a variety of settings. We thereby show that the introduced rule leads to steady state cooperative behavior that is always greater than or equal to the one predicted by evolutionary stability analysis and discuss relevant implications to natural and artificial systems.