Analysis and Control of Rumor Propagation Model Considering Multiple Waiting Phases

Rumors pose serious harm to society and exhibit a certain degree of repetitiveness. Existing rumor propagation models often have simple rules and neglect the repetitiveness of rumors. Therefore, we propose a new SCWIR rumor propagation model (susceptible, commented, waited, infected, recovered) by introducing the user’s repeated waiting behavior to simulate the potential for rumors to lie dormant and spread opportunistically. First, we present the dynamic equations of the model, then introduce three influencing factors to improve the model. Next, by solving for the equilibrium points and the basic reproduction number, we discuss the local and global stability of the rumor-free/rumor equilibrium points. Finally, we perform numerical simulations to analyze the effects of different factors on rumor propagation. The results show that the introduction of the multiple waiting mechanism helps simulate the repetitiveness of rumor propagation. Among the rumor suppression strategies, the effectiveness, from highest to lowest, is as follows: government intervention, information dissemination and popularization, and accelerated rumor value decay, with government intervention playing a decisive role. Information dissemination can reduce the intensity of rumors at the source.