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Influence of Local Interactions in the Bak-Sneppen Model and Economic Applications

In the present work we extend the Bak-Sneppen model for biological evolution by introducing local interactions between species. This ``environmental'' perturbation can modify the intrinsic fitness of each element of the ecology, leading to higher survival probability, even for the less fit. While the system still self-organizes toward a critical state, the distribution of fitness broadens, losing the classical step-function shape. A possible application in economics is discussed, where firms are represented like evolving species linked by mutual interests.