Universal patterns can be observed in many collective human activities, including violence. However, the possibility of universal patterns ranging across wars in the size distribution or timing of within-conflict events has barely been explored. Here, the sizes and timing of violent events within different insurgent conflicts are shown to exhibit remarkable similarities, and a unified model of human insurgency — with an interesting resemblance to financial market models — is proposed.
- Juan Camilo Bohorquez
- Sean Gourley
- Neil F. Johnson
