Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
Topological Clustering for Geographical
Networks
Jean-François Gleyze
3.1
Introduction
In addition to transportation, energy, communications, city and human networks,
the study of reticular structures in geography faces problems relative to the size
and complexity of the structures. These problems are particularly daunting when
considering networks at scales smaller than their usual scale of representation. In
this case, the mass of components makes it difficult to understand the network and
synthesize related information.
In addition to cartographic tools to generalize maps and make them easier to
read at lower scales, tools have been developed to cluster network components and
simplify their representation and assessment. These tools stem from graph theory
and have been extended to a particular degree in the field of social networks.
However, graph theory tools have not been widely applied in geography because
spatial organizations cannot be described only by graph structures; they also require
specific information to build relevant models.
Nevertheless, to provide useful guidelines to adapt these tools to issues facing
geography, this chapter presents an overview of these clustering methods, with
particular attention to the criteria of implementation. We illustrate these methods
with examples of simple graphs and discuss the possible applications to the study of
reticular structures in geography. This discussion reveals that these methods cannot
be applied alone in most cases, but that the way they are constructed provides
relevant criteria that can be used to develop suitable methods for the geographical
context.
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