Analyzing C2 Structures and Self-Synchronization with Simple Computational Models

Although Command and Control (C2) is a complex activity, useful lessons about C2 can be learnt from simple computational models. In this paper, we describe experiments with two such models. The Kuramoto Model, though with some serious limitations, provides a representation of information flow and self-synchronization in an organization. A second (agent-based) model, based on factorization, provides a representation of planning that is slightly more realistic. These models suggest that the time for an organization to reach a decision is related to the average distance in the organizational network, although our two experiments disagree on the nature of this relationship. Comparing the simulation results to empirical real-world studies confirms the relationship between time and the average network distance. Although the empirical studies suggest that this relationship is linear, the Kuramoto Model might be more realistic in its suggestion of a nonlinear relationship, since it captures the idea of information being “attenuated” during transmission by misunderstandings. The Kuramoto Model therefore reveals a need for further empirical studies in this area.