On the Rank‐Size Distribution for Human Settlements
基于简单的随机模型解释人类聚落的位序-规模分布，发现上尾和下尾的位序-规模现象，并用西班牙和美国四个区域的数据验证了双帕累托对数正态分布的拟合效果。
An explanation for the rank‐size distribution for human settlements based on simple stochastic models of settlement formation and growth is presented. Not only does the analysis of the model explain the rank‐size phenomenon in the upper tail, it also predicts a reverse rank‐size phenomenon in the lower tail. Furthermore it yields a parametric form (the double Pareto‐lognormal distribution) for the complete distribution of settlement sizes. Settlement‐size data for four regions (two in Spain and two in the U.S.) are used as examples. For these regions the lower tail rank‐size property is seen to hold and the double Pareto‐lognormal distribution shown to provide an excellent fit, lending support to the model and to the explanation for the rank‐size law.