In exchange processes clusters composed of elementary building blocks, monomers, undergo binary exchange in which a monomer is transferred from one cluster to another. In assortative exchange only clusters with comparable masses participate in exchange events. We study maximally assortative exchange processes in which only clusters of equal masses can exchange monomers. A mean-field framework based on rate equations is appropriate for spatially homogeneous systems in sufficiently high spatial dimension. For diffusion-controlled exchange processes, the mean-field approach is erroneous when the spatial dimension is smaller than critical; we analyze such systems using scaling and heuristic arguments. Apart from infinite-cluster systems we explore the fate of finite systems and study maximally assortative exchange processes driven by a localized input.

• Received 30 March 2018
• Revised 26 June 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.98.052111