Modeling the Complexity of the Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism Struggle: Mathematics of the "Hearts and Minds"

  • Authors:
  • Chris Arney;Zachary Silvis;Matthew Thielen;Jeff Yao

  • Affiliations:
  • Department of Mathematics,United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA;United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA;United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA;United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA

  • Venue:
  • International Journal of Operations Research and Information Systems
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

The United States armed forces could be considered the world's most powerful military force. However, in modern conflicts, techniques of asymmetric warfare terrorism wreak havoc on the inflexible, regardless of technological or numerical advantage. In order to be more effective, the US military must improve its counter-terrorism CT capabilities and flexibility. In this light, the authors model the terrorism-counter-terrorism T-CT struggle with a detailed and complex mathematical model and analyze the model's components of leadership, promotion, recruitment, resources, operational techniques, cooperation, logistics, security, intelligence, science, and psychology in the T-CT struggle, with the goal of informing today's decision makers of the options available in counter-terrorism strategy.