The Palindrome

The Palindrome

I Started an Epidemic in Liberty City. Can I Stop It With Math?

What Happens If You Release a Virus in GTA?

Tivadar Danka's avatar
Tivadar Danka
Aug 05, 2026
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Mathematics is key to controlling epidemics. With a well-constructed model, we can accurately predict the dynamics of infectious diseases, eventually finding ways to control them.

I spent the last two months turning Liberty City (from the original Grand Theft Auto) into an agent-based simulator. I relentlessly studied contact graphs, transmission trees, infection heatmaps, and SEIR curves to find a way to stop the epidemic (that I started).

Here’s how:

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