Skip to main content
Log in

Time evolution of complex networks: commuting systems in insular Italy

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the dynamics of the commuting system of two insular regions of Italy, Sardinia and Sicily, inspected as complex networks. The authors refer to a 20-year time period and take into account three census data sets about the work and study-driven inter-municipal origin-destination movements of residential inhabitants in 1981, 1991 and 2001. Since it is likely that the number of municipalities (in this case, the vertices of the system) does not display sharp variations, the authors direct the study to the variation of the properties emerging through both a topological and a weighted network representation of commuting in the time periods indicated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albert R, Barabási AL (2002) Statistical mechanics of complex networks. Rev Mod Phys 74(1):47–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez-Hamelin JI, Dall’Asta L, Barrat A, Vespignani A (2005) k-core decomposition: a tool for the visualization of large scale networks, arXiv:cs/0504107v2

  • Barrat A, Barthélemy M, Pastor-Satorras R, Vespignani A (2004) The architecture of complex weighted networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci 101(11):3747–3752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barabási AL, Albert R (1999) Emergence of scaling in random networks. Science 286(5439):509–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berg J, Lassing M (2002) Correlated random networks. Phys Rev Lett 89(2222):228701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bianconi G (2007) The entropy of randomized network ensembles. EPL 81(1):28005–28011

    Google Scholar 

  • Boccaletti S, Latora V, Moreno Y, Chavez M, Hwang DU (2006) Complex networks: structure and dynamics. Phys Rep 424(4–5):175–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmi S, Havlin S, Kirkpatrick S, Shavitt Y, Shir E (2007) A model of internet topology using k-shell decomposition. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(27):11150–11154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caschili S, De Montis A, Manca G, Deplano G (2009) Accessibility in Commuting U.S. Network. In: Proceedings of 1st transatlantic NECTAR conference network on European communications and transport activities research in the USA, 18–20 June 2009. Arlington, VA, USA

  • CENSIS, Ministry of Transport (2008) Pendolari d’Italia [Commuters of Italy]. Franco Angeli, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiricota Y, Melanon G, Phan Quang TT, Tissandier P (2007) Visual exploration of (French) commuter networks. HAL—CCSD http://www.scientificcommons.org/32445230

  • De Montis A, Barthélemy M, Chessa A, Vespignani A (2007) The structure of interurban traffic: a weighted network analysis. Environ Plann B Plann Des 34(5):905–924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Montis A, Campagna M, Caschili S, Chessa A, Deplano G (2009) Modelling commuting systems through a complex network analysis: a study of the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily. J Transp Land Use 2(3/4):1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Girvan M, Newman MEJ (2002) Community structure in social and biological networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99(12):7821–7826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guimerá R, Amaral LAN (2004) Modeling the world-wide airport network. Eur Phys J B 38(2):381–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson B, Klaesson J, Olsson M (2003) Commuters’ non-linear response to time distances. J Geogr Syst 5(3):315–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latora V, Marchiori M (2002) Is the Boston subway a small-world network? Phys A 314(1–4):109–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy JM (2000) Contemporary urban planning, 5th edn. Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman MEJ (2003) Structure and function of complex networks. SIAM Rev 45(2):167–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman MEJ, Watts DJ, Strogatz SH (2002) Random graph models of social networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99(1):2566–2572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor-Satorras A, Vazquez A, Vespignani A (2001) Epidemic dynamics in finite size scale-free networks. Phys Rev Lett 65(3):035108–035111

    Google Scholar 

  • Pastor-Satorras R, Vespignani A (2004) Evolution and structure of the internet. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Patuelli R, Reggiani A, Gorman SP, Nijkamp P, Bade FJ (2007) Network analysis of commuting flows: a comparative static approach to German data. Netw Spat Econ 7(4):315–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravasz E, Somera AL, Mongru AD, Oltvai ZN, Barabási AL (2002) Hierarchical organization of modularity in metabolic networks. Science 297(5586):1551–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen A, Smith TE (1995) Gravity models of spatial interaction behavior. Springer, Heidelberg and New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorsen I, Gitlesen JP (1998) Empirical evaluation of alternative model specifications to predict commuting flows. J Reg Sci 38(2):273–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watts D, Strogatz SH (1998) Collective dynamics of ‘small world’ networks. Nature 393(6684):440–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

A.D.M. and A.C. acknowledge Cybersar Project managed by the Consorzio COSMOLAB, a project co-funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) within the Programma Operativo Nazionale 2000-2006 “Ricerca Scientifica, Sviluppo Tecnologico, Alta Formazione” per le Regioni Italiane dellObiettivo 1 (Campania, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Sicilia, Sardegna) Asse II, Misura II.2 Societ dellInformazione, Azione a Sistemi di calcolo e simulazione ad alte prestazioni. More information is available at http://www.cybersar.it.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea De Montis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

De Montis, A., Caschili, S. & Chessa, A. Time evolution of complex networks: commuting systems in insular Italy. J Geogr Syst 13, 49–65 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10109-010-0130-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10109-010-0130-8

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation