Way of Breaking Links in the Evolution of Cooperation

We investigate how the way of breaking links and establishing links impacts cooperation by comparing four coevolutionary rules. In the rules, a player chooses to break an existing link according to his environment, and the establishment of a new link depends on the environment of the potential neighbor. It is found that the way of breaking links plays a key role in promoting cooperation. The way of establishing links has a negligible effect on cooperation, but determines the population structure. Our results may provide some insights into understanding the evolution of cooperation.