How to determine the relationship of competition or cooperation?

Question

I am currently studying the interaction of Twitter memes (two or many), such as competition and cooperation. Is there any model or method in biology that can identify the types of the relationship, such as competition or cooperation? I have heard the Lotka–Volterra equations, but when I begin to dig deep, I found that it is still not suitable.

Answer 1

HI asked,

I think usually competition and cooperation are directly observed, not inferred from statistical models. And anyway, it's a triple, not a double: competition, commensality, symbiosis. And that's just the immediate interaction; the interaction through a food web can be obviously more complex! (I know some great examples with midges, mosquitos, and pitcher plants; also with intestinal worms, fertility in humans, and autoimmune diseases -- if you want references, happy to furnish).

-- Cheers, -- Mr. d.