>therefore the population ought to have some kind of exponent attached to it, like particles bouncing against one another in a container.
Population squared? That gives you the number of potential connections.
Population squared? That gives you the number of potential connections.
In the rather clumsy taxonomy of crime I created from the UCR, most violent crime -- excepting suicide -- would be collision-based. Some drug crimes like possession would not be collision-based (although it could be argued that possession involves buying which involves another person) while drug sales would be. Crimes against property are interesting -- is that another person by proxy, or should that merely be collision-less?
Where connections could eg mean: two people come in close enough proximity with each other to spread a virus.