Transition in collective motion decision making.

Collective decision making in a biological motion group requires fast and robust transmission of information. Typically, directional switching information propagation across the whole group obeys a linear dispersion law. However, conventional dynamic collective motion models, such as the Vicsek model and the Couzin model did not take into account ultrafast directional synchronous motions. In the present paper, a multiparticle model is proposed based on inertial spin self-propel action, which can provide adequate description of such group motion. By considering both spin mechanism and collision avoidance, the proposed self-propelled particle spin model can nicely describe collective motion with fast directional switching. By analyzing the order parameter of the group-velocity synchronization, a mechanism of group decision making is revealed, which is based on the difference between two clusters of divergent leaders, showing a transition from the compromising phase (i.e., following the group average) to the preferred phase (i.e., aligning to a leader cluster). The finding provides new insight to the decision-making process of followers when they face with divergent leaders in group motion.