The entropy-maximising methodology for variables which take discrete values is used to derive the rank-size rule and to give a new interpretation of the constants. Relationships are found between the real populations of the cities, the populations that are given by the models, and the rank of the cities. A new index that represents the degree of concentration of a country is introduced as well as a new measure for the deviation of one pair of cities from the rank-size rule. The model is applied to data for Greek cities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AuerbachF, 1913, “Das Gesetz der Bevölkerungskonzentration”Petermann's Mitteilungen5974–76
2.
BattyM, 1976Urban Modelling (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge)
3.
BussièreRStovallT, 1981Systèmes Évolutifs Urbains et Régionaux à l'État d'ÉquilibreCentre de Recherche et de Rencontres d'Urbanisme, Paris
4.
CarrollC, 1982, “National city-size distributions: What do we know after 67 years of research?”Progress in Human Geography61–43
5.
ChristallerW, 1966Central Places in Southern Germany translated by BaskinC W (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ)
6.
CurryL, 1964, “The random spatial economy: An exploration in settlement theory”Annals of the Association of American Geographers54138–146
7.
FanoP, 1969, “Organization, city-size distributions and central places”Papers of the Regional Science Association2229–38
