Renormalization theory and wargaming: multi-layered wargames

Abstract

Generally speaking, wargames are tools for exploring human decision-making in an environment with incomplete and imperfect information. They can provide important insights into the complexity of military operations or can be used to generate novel ideas. However, if an analyst desired to conduct analyses spanning multiple warfare levels, the only feasible approach would be to select the largest domain and the highest resolution to accommodate even the smallest scales involved. This paper develops a theoretical framework based on the renormalization theory for a multi-layered approach to wargaming. This approach would enable representing variety of warfare scales within a single wargame, while avoiding the overhead that would have arisen from trying to represent desired scenarios at the highest required temporary and spatial scales. The proposal of a conceptual framework for multi-scale wargaming is demonstrated on a simplest possible example of hybrid wargames used in support of NATO concept development.