Characterizing the impact of selection on the evolution of cooperation in complex networks

Cooperative behaviors are widespread in biological and social populations. Yet the evolution of cooperation is still a puzzle in evolutionary theory. Recent researches have indicated that complex interactions among individuals may promote the evolution of cooperation under weak selection. However, the selection effect on cooperation has not been completely understood. This paper aims to characterize the impact of selection on the emergence of cooperation in evolutionary dynamics on complex networks. By theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, it is found that selection favors defection over cooperation for the birth-death process, while it may favor cooperation over defection for the death-birth process. Furthermore, we come to the condition on which cooperation is dominant over defection. In particular, there exists an optimal selection intensity which favors cooperation the best for the death-birth process. The obtained results indicate that appropriate selection can promote the evolution of cooperation in structured populations under some circumstances.