Structurally Stable Transport Flows and Patterns of Location

Puu, T. (1982). Structurally Stable Transport Flows and Patterns of Location. IIASA Research Report. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: RR-82-042

Preview

Text RR-82-042.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

This report describes developments of the continuous model of trade and equilibrium in two-dimensional space introduced by Martin J. Beckman in the early 1950s. The original model is extended by treating several interrelated commodity flows and an explicit production activity, transforming the contents of one flow (labor services) into another (finished goods). A residential-industrial agglomeration pattern arises that corresponds to the two flows.

This general model, which is capable of representing very diverse spatial organizations, but at the same time contains very little information, is specified by using the generic theory of differential equations. Therefore, if structural stability of the flows of commodities is assumed, it is possible to obtain a rather precise topological characterization of the stable flow and of the corresponding spatial organization. The main conclusion reached is that extreme care should be taken when deriving the results of classical market area from nonlinear models. The classical theory is linear and, therefore, always structurally stable. Without linearity (i.e. homogeneous space) stability is no longer guaranteed, but must be expressly assumed. The conclusions about basic spatial organization then become very different.

Actions (login required)

View Item