Evolutionary Dynamics of Memory Poisoning in Cooperative Agent Populations

Authors

  • James R. Bailey Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 107, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Daniel J. Steinberg Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 107, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Emily K. Black Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 107, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66238/fsrma50

Keywords:

Evolutionary game theory, multi-agent systems, memory poisoning, replicator dynamics, cooperative stability, adversarial behavior

Abstract

Memory poisoning can be analyzed through evolutionary dynamics when malicious behaviors propagate through imitation mechanisms. This study models agent behavior evolution using replicator dynamics equations. Agents adopt cooperative or poisoning strategies based on payoff comparison. Stability analysis identifies critical fitness ratios determining contamination dominance. Simulations with populations of 200 agents over 500 evolutionary cycles reveal that when adversarial payoff exceeds cooperative payoff by 18%, poisoning strategies dominate 76% of trials. Introducing adaptive cooperation incentives reduced poisoning equilibrium frequency to 23%. Evolutionary modeling provides insight into long-term contamination dynamics and incentive-based mitigation

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Published

2026-04-01

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 01 (2026): Fundamental Scientific Reports in Multidisciplinary Areas

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 James R. Bailey, Daniel J. Steinberg, Emily K. Black

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