Phase transitions and universality in the Sznajd model with anticonformity

In this work we study the dynamics of opinion formation in the Sznajd model with anticonformity on regular lattices in two and three dimensions. The anticonformity behavior is similar to the introduction of Galam's contrarians in the population. The model was previously studied in fully-connected networks, and it was found an order-disorder transition with the order parameter exponent beta = 1/2 calculated analytically. However, the other phase transition exponents were not estimated, and no discussion about the possible universality of the phase transition was done. Our target in this work is to estimate numerically the other exponents gamma and upsilon for the fully-connected case, as well as the three exponents for the model defined in square and cubic lattices. Our results suggest that the model belongs to the 'sing model universality class in the respective dimensions. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.