Fuzzy set modeling of insurgent networks

A modeling framework is presented to analyze the effects of culture on the dynamics of small to medium sized social networks. The hybrid framework utilizes fuzzy set theoretic concepts in a Monte Carlo simulation. A network is defined where the nodes are members of the network and the weight of the edges represent the subjective strength of the relationships between agents. These weights are determined by applying a fuzzy set metric to Axelrod's canonical model of culture. The network's influence on agents is determined by the relative strengths and graph theoretic distance between agents. Using simulation, interesting results were obtained for both simple abstract networks and larger social networks modeled on Al Qaeda. In conclusion, this framework provides a mechanism to model social network dynamics where both cultural traits and network topology are of principal interest.