A Model for the Formation of Beliefs and Social Norms Based on the Satisfaction Problem (SAT)

We propose a numerical representation of beliefs in social systems based on the so-called SAT problem in computer science. The main idea is that a belief system is a set of true/false values associated with claims or propositions. Each individual assigns these values according to its cognitive system in order to minimize logical contradictions, thus trying to solve a satisfaction problem. Social interactions between agents that disagree on a proposition can be introduced in order to see how, in the long term, social norms and competing belief systems build up in a population. Among other metrics, entropy is used to characterize the diversity of belief systems.