Multi-team conflict resolution is ineffective for stable decision making

Abstract

Competition between distinct groups is fundamental to complex systems, from political coalitions and economic markets to gene regulatory networks (GRNs) controlling cell fate. Strikingly, cell-fate decision systems predominantly employ binary competition between two mutually inhibitory teams of genes, despite multi-team competition being common in social and ecological contexts. This raises a fundamental question: does binary decision-making offer functional advantages over multi-team systems? We systematically analyzed multi-team competitive networks using Boolean dynamics on signed directed graphs, extending well-characterized two-team GRN architectures to systems with three or more mutually inhibitory teams. Three-team networks produced significantly less stable outcomes than two-team systems, with steady states showing higher structural frustration and increased sensitivity to perturbations. Multi-team systems exhibited unpredictable transitions even under controlled perturbations, especially at lower densities typical of real networks. Networks with four or more teams failed to maintain distinct stable states entirely. Using spectral analysis, we show that team structure can be predicted from network eigenproperties, extending structural balance theory to directed signed networks. Our findings explain why binary decisions dominate biology and provide insights into coalition instability in social systems, market dynamics, and organizational structures. This work establishes fundamental stability principles for competitive networks across disciplines.