Universal patterns underlying ongoing wars and terrorism

M Spagat; N. F Johnson; J. A Restrepo; O Becerra; J. C Bohórquez; E. M Restrepo; R Zarama

Universal patterns underlying ongoing wars and terrorism

M Spagat, N. F Johnson, J. A Restrepo, O Becerra, J. C Bohórquez, E. M Restrepo, R Zarama

Department of Economics

Research output: Working paper › Discussion paper

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Abstract

we report a remarkable universality in the patterns of violence in three high profile ongoing wars, and in global terrorism. Our results suggest that these quite different conflict arenas currently feature a common type of enemy, i.e. the various insurgent forces are beginning to operate in a similar way regardles of their underlying idealogies, motivations and the terrain in which they operate. We provide a microscopic theory to explain our main observations. This theory treats the insurgent force as a generic, self-organizing system which is dynamically evolving through the continual coalescence and fragmentation of its constituent groups.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Apr 2006

Publication series

Name	Conflict

Keywords

Terrorism
Conflict
War

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

Full Text

http://personal.rhul.ac.uk/uhte/014/Research.htm

Cite this

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