Promoting Cooperation in the Snowdrift Game: A Disconnection-Reconnection Reputation Memory Mechanism

Cooperative behavior evolution has been a primary focus in evolutionary game theory. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have delved into altering mechanisms to enhance cooperation among groups. In this paper, we propose a novel mechanism where players utilize a new reputation calculation method to implement a disconnection-reconnection strategy in the snowdrift game models on lattice networks. The core of this mechanism lies in: Player i compares the reputation of its neighbors with the mean reputation of the group to decide whether to engage in the next round of the game. If player i’s interactive neighbors’ set is empty as a result, the player with the highest reputation from its potential neighbors is chosen to join the interactive neighbors’ set for the next round. This mechanism significantly elevates the level of cooperation in the snowdrift games. Additionally, this paper analyzes the changes in cooperative levels with varying memory lengths and explores the reasons underlying these changes.