Using mathematics to trace the underworld

Mathematicians have used the geometrical equations collected during wildlife research to predict the imminent scuffle between rival gangs with an accuracy of 99 %

According to the Smithsonian.com website, anthropologist Jeffrey Brantingham of the University of California in Los Angeles cited the theory established in the 1920s by American statistician Alfred Lotka in collaboration with Italian mathematician Vito Volterra . These two experts have hypothesized this observation of the herds of wild animals of similar size, from lions to hyenas, while they scramble for their habitat. And research results have been used to write the Lotka-Volterra equation , which has long been used to study the theory of ecology.

Police arrest criminal gang members

Based on this equation, Brantingham expert studied 13 relatively similar crime bands, operating in areas from the neighborhood of Boyle Heights to Los Angeles's East Side.With the help of the police, his team identified the location of each tape drive, and used the Lotka-Volterra equation to draw boundaries between competing gangs.The results are very promising, if the groups are similar in force, the 'border' area is easily outlined.Since then, new researchers anticipate further clashes between the parties.

Experts found the ability to 'fight' at 58.8% in the area 'border' about 300m, 87.5% took place within 60 m, and 99.8% within 1.6 km . The analysis of 563 gunfights between the regional gangs between 1999 and 2002 confirmed the experts' predictions, with real life clashes at 58.2%, 83.1 % and 97.7%.

The Brantingham expert said the above-mentioned method of reflecting the groundwater reflected a more effective underground world operation than the measures being applied by the police, because it was not merely based on the geographical situation. His team is continuing to experiment with territorial maps, hoping to soon provide a perfect tool for police departments to deal with violence between criminal gangs. In particular, this method could be deployed when the two bands first appeared in one locality, and the police simply put forces in place before the violence broke out.