The Use of Catastrophe Theory in Crime Investigation

This study builds upon the author’s earlier publication «The Use of the Theory of Catastrophes in Forensics» ( Aktual’nye problemy rossijskogo prava . 2022;12:204-212), which briefly outlined the general principles of catastrophe theory and attempted to apply this theory to the investigation of crimes related to professional activities involving technogenic sources of increased danger. However, according to the author, from a methodological position, the study of two dynamic systems (criminal activity and the activity of its investigation) should be approached through the principles of dualism and isomorphism. This approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the integrative model of these dynamic systems, including their deterministic and stochastic connections. Such understanding facilitates constructive applications in both theoretical and methodological domains, as well as in practical crime investigation aimed at establishing a robust body of evidence in criminal cases. The paper focuses on the most important elements of this model: the subject (examining destructive behavior of witnesses and victims, along with their motivations for obstructing investigations); the tools for solving the problems of disclosing and investigating criminal acts, including the use of advanced equipment and the latest technologies that allow for a fundamentally new, constructive solution to identification and diagnostic issues, which significantly reduces the imbalance between the means of anti-criminal and criminal activity.