  A hybrid model for opinion dynamics in complex multi-agent networks is
introduced, wherein some continuous-valued agents average neighbors' opinions
to update their own, while other discrete-valued agents use stochastic copying
and voting protocols. A statistical and graph-theoretic analysis of the model
is undertaken, and consensus is shown to be achieved whenever the network
matrix is ergodic. Also, the time required for consensus is characterized, in
terms of the network's graph and the distribution of agents of different types.

Systems and Control;Optimization and Control;Physics and Society