Kollapsi

Kollapsi is a term used in some discussions of systemic risk to denote a rapid, self-reinforcing breakdown of a complex, interdependent system. The word is a portmanteau built from the English word collapse and is used across disciplines to describe scenarios in which small shocks propagate through networks and lead to disproportionately large losses of function.

Typical characteristics include abrupt loss of essential services, widespread disruption of communication, and cascading failures across subsystems. Triggers can be external shocks (natural disasters, financial crises), internal stresses (overload, aging infrastructure), or policy errors that amplify vulnerabilities. Dynamics are often studied with network theory, percolation, agent-based models, and resilience frameworks that emphasize redundancy, modularity, and adaptive capacity.

Applications span risk assessment, urban and infrastructure planning, energy and supply chains, and financial stability analysis. In academic work, kollapsi concepts help compare different systems and stress-test mitigation strategies. In fictional or speculative contexts, the term is sometimes used to describe apocalyptic or near-apocalyptic events driven by networked failure.

Critics note that the lack of a standardized definition can invite vagueness and misinterpretation. Effective use of the term requires explicit framing of the system, the type of shock, and the metrics for recovery.

See also: cascading failure, systemic risk, resilience engineering, complex systems, network theory.