Non-equilibrium time-dependent solution to discrete choice with social interactions

PONE-D-22-00146

Dear Dr. Holehouse,

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Talib Al-Ameri, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

I received the flowing comment from reviewer #2

The paper looks interesting however the following revision is needed.

1. Some quantitative results should be added to the abstract. The main findings should be highlighted in this section.

2. The number of pages too much large should be reduced to 20-25.

3. The author should explain the citation as mentioned [16-18], [19-23] etc.

I would consider these comments as optional comment.

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: In the current work, the authors solved the binary decision model of Brock

and Durlauf in time using a method reliant on 9 the resolvent of the master

operator of the stochastic process. The method used for this solution can be

easily extended to other binary decision models, including Kirmans model of ant

recruitment, and under reinterpretation also provides a time-dependent solution

to the mean-field Ising model. Further, they used the time-dependent solution

to construct a likelihood function that can be used on non-equilibrium data for

model calibration.

The Abstract appropriately summarize the manuscript, there are no discrepancies between the Abstract and the remainder of the manuscript and the

Abstract can be understood without reading the manuscript.

The results clearly explained, their order of presentation is parallel to the

order of presentation of the methods. Also, the results, all reasonable and expected, are introduced and preceded by an appropriate and concise discussion

in the section.

The paper is of more than reasonable quality and novelty.

The conclusions of the authors are justified by the results found in the study.

The results are new and innovative and are considered a good addition to

previous works in the same field of work.

I suggest the acceptance of the paper in its present form for publication

in PLOS ONE.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Mohamed I. Abbas