Anticipation Breeds Alignment

We study the large-time behavior of systems driven by radial potentials, which react to anticipated positions, x τ ( t ) = x ( t ) + τ v ( t ) , with anticipation increment τ > 0 . As a special case, such systems yield the celebrated Cucker–Smale model for alignment, coupled with pairwise interactions. Viewed from this perspective, such anticipation-driven systems are expected to emerge into flocking due to alignment of velocities, and spatial concentration due to confining potentials. We treat both the discrete dynamics and large crowd hydrodynamics, proving the decisive role of anticipation in driving such systems with attractive potentials into velocity alignment and spatial concentration. We also study the concentration effect near equilibrium for anticipated-based dynamics of pair of agents governed by attractive–repulsive potentials.