Scientists are using criminology techniques to identify Banksy

The study used a technique known as Dirichlet process, commonly used to find serial killers



Banksy is probably the most famous graffiti artist today. Ironically, it is also one of the most mysterious. Although his works are seen since the early 2000s, no one knows the artist's identity. Now, scientists at the London Queen Mary University used criminological procedures to identify the graffiti artist.

The technique used is known as Dirichlet process, which map a certain individual activities to find the points where the person more acts. It is what they call "geographic profiling". From these data, scientists are able to compare with the habits of the suspect list, and consequently decrease it. The procedure is commonly used to trace the behavior of serial killers.

The study confronted the data collected with the most suspected Banksy: British Robin Gunningham. The man was named as a possible identity of the artist in 2008, in an article in the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday. Since then, the advice of Banksy never ruled u if it is in fact the graffiti artist. However, if it depends on scientists involved in the research, confirmation or more as needed so the data beat and Gunningham proved as the most possible identity. "At first I thought it would select the top 10 suspects and rate each one (hiding their names), but it quickly became clear that there was only one real suspect," said the British BBC biologist at Queen Mary University, Steve Le Comber, one of responsible for research. "If you put Google 'Banksy and Gunningham', you get about 43,500 results. I would be surprised if he was not Banksy, even without our analysis, but it is interesting that research has a reinforcement for this idea," he concludes.

Those involved say that, in fact, the idea behind the research is to show that the Dirichlet process can be used more often. Scientists believe the technique can be useful, for example, to meet people who commit minor offenses before they are part of a more serious crime.

Also according to the BBC, a spokesperson for Banksy tried to prevent - through their lawyers - that the study was brought to the public. The Spatial periódioco Journal of Science, however, the research published in the last week.