2005/11/23 by Massimo Pica Ciamarra, M. Pica Ciamarra, Antonio Coniglio +3 · 1 citation
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) #Urban Design and Spatial Analysis #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.soc-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0511200
Physica A. To appear
arxiv created 2005/11/23 · openalex publication_date 2005/11/23 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We propose a new model of cluster growth according to which the probability that a new unit is placed in a point at a distance r from the city center is a Gaussian with mean equal to the cluster radius and variance proportional to the mean, modulated by the local density ρ(r). The model is analytically solvable in d=2 dimensions, where the density profile varies as a complementary error function. The model reproduces experimental observations relative to the morphology of cities, determined via an original analysis of digital maps with a very high spatial resolution, and helps understanding the emergence of vehicular traffic.