We present a self-contained discussion of the universality classes of the generalized epidemic process (GEP) on Poisson random networks, which is a simple model of social contagions with cooperative effects. These effects lead to rich phase transitional behaviors that include continuous and discontinuous transitions with tricriticality in between. With the help of a comprehensive finite-size scaling theory, we numerically confirm static and dynamic scaling behaviors of the GEP near continuous phase transitions and at tricriticality, which verifies the field-theoretical results of previous studies. We also propose a proper criterion for the discontinuous transition line, which is shown to coincide with the bond percolation threshold.

• Received 14 December 2015
• Revised 19 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.052304