Consequence of doping in spatiotemporal rock-paper-scissors games

Abstract

What determines species diversity is dramatic concern in science. Here we report the effect of doping on diversity in spatiotemporal rock-paper-scissors (RPS) games, which can be observed directly in ecological, biological and social systems in nature. Doping means that there exists some buffer patches which do not involve the main procession of the conflicts but occupied the game space. Quantitative lattices simulation finds that (1) decrease of extinction possibility is exponential dependent on the increase of doping rate, (2) the possibility of the conflict is independent of doping rate at well mix evolution beginning, and is buffered by doping in long time coexistence procession. Practical meaning of doping are discussed. To demonstrate the importance of doping, we present one practical example for microbial laboratory efficient operation and one theoretical example for human-environment co-existence system better understanding. It suggests that, for diversity, doping can not be neglected.