Chaos Theory and Military Applications

摘要

This paper reviews the fundamentals of Chaos theory, military systems that are Chaotic, Chaos in non-physical systems, Chaos control, and the applications of Chaos theory for the military. This fairly new mathematical concept is still being explored and it is expanding in its applications for the military. Glenn James in his paper Chaos theory: The Essentials for Military Applications, capitalizes the word “chaos” throughout his paper when discussing mathematical chaos. This method will be used throughout this paper as well to distinguish mathematical chaos from social chaos. In order to help understand Chaos theory, the logistic map, a difference equation developed by Robert May, will be used. Understanding how to detect Chaos in a system and looking at the possibility of using Chaos to decode enemy signals can be essential for military personnel, especially when combating terrorism. The more terrorist attacks that can be prevented, the more peaceful the world will be. The military uses communication for everything it does and it is important to keep these communications as secure as possible. Applications of Chaos theory include using it in this military communications and also for decoding enemy signals, searching for enemy missiles, and using it in assembly lines. Part of understanding how to use Chaos in the military comes from knowing how Chaos can be controlled.