We study an optimal movement strategy of agents during an ongoing epidemic  among the (D) states  of a country having various levels of infection spreading. Given that a fraction of the agents have the choice of staying in any two given states, we show that the total infected population in the country could be as low as that achieved with a complete stoppage of inter-state movements for a prolonged period, provided that the agents  follow a stochastic strategy, used in the Minority Game, for their movement decisions  . Due to the random (but fixed in time) choices of the agents, the system essentially forms a set of D/2 coupled Minority Games, played simultaneously.  We further show that it is the agents moving once between any two states  following the stochastic strategy  who are less likely to be infected than those not having (or not opting for) such a movement choice, when the risk of getting infected during the travel is not considered  .
We study an optimal movement strategy , for a population during an ongoing epidemic , among the (D) states /regions of a country having various levels of infection spreading. If a fraction of the agents in the population have a choice of staying in any two given states, we show that the total infected population in the country could be as low as that achieved with a complete stoppage of inter-state movements for a prolonged period, provided that the agents instead follow a stochastic strategy, used in the Minority Game, for their movement decisions between their two choices . Due to the random (but fixed in time) choices of the agents, the system essentially forms a set of D/2 coupled Minority Games, played simultaneously. The objective for an agent is to stay in the lower infected state between their two choices. We further show that it is the agents moving once between any two states , following the stochastic strategy , who are less likely to be infected than those not having (or not opting for) such a movement choice, when the risk of getting infected during the travel is not considered . This shows the incentive for the moving agents to follow the stochastic strategy. For the non-moving agents, the strategy is still helpful, as a complete random movement of the moving group results in a significantly higher total infection .
R
of agents
, for a population
A
,
A
/regions
R
Given that
If
R
have the
in the population have a
A
instead
A
between their two choices
A
The objective for an agent is to stay in the lower infected state between their two choices.
A
,
A
,
A
. This shows the incentive for the moving agents to follow the stochastic strategy. For the non-moving agents, the strategy is still helpful, as a complete random movement of the moving group results in a significantly higher total infection