s . so c - ph ] 1 1 Ju n 20 05 Discrete Simulation of the Dynamics of Opinions about Extremism

We propose a discrete model for how opinion about a given phenomenon , about which various groups of a population have different degrees of enthusiasm, such as fanaticism and extreme social and political positions, including terrorism, may spread. The model, in a certain limit, is the discrete analogue of a deterministic continuum model suggested by others. We carry out extensive computer simulation of the model by utilizing it on lattices with infinite-or short-range interactions, and on (directed) Barabási-Albert scale-free networks. Several interesting features of the model are demonstrated, and comparison is made with the continuum model.