Modelling Adopter Behaviour Based on the Navier Stokes Equation

Abstract EN

Aiming to improve the current models describing the diffusion of innovation, a method based on an analogy with a physical system is presented.

In particular, we model the movement of adopters of a particular innovation as a flow and the diffusion of the innovation as heat diffusion, thus making use of mathematical tools such as the Navier-Stokes equation.

Building on our previous work, in this study we focus on the movement of adopters in the simulation domain, which we refer to as convection.

As an application to modeling the convection phenomenon, we simulate the flow of people in a real building floor, the Tokyo Aquarium.

Besides being a necessary part when simulating diffusion of innovations, such a modeling approach may also prove useful in different fields, such as deciding layout of public spaces or evacuation policies.