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From Complexity to Simplicity
No full textNear is beautiful’ was argued by Miller (2004, p. 248) in his essay on “Tobler’s First Law and Spatial Analysis”. The awareness has also grown that relations among things that are near can generate complex spatio-temporal phenomena. The simplicity of Tobler’s law invokes reflections on the complexity of interacting phenomena and the ‘simple’ laws which have been articulated in the scientific literature when attempting to ‘decode’ these phenomena. Certainly, from a spatial economic viewpoint, Tobler’s law is consistent with the minimum cost-distance principle. In addition, Miller sheds light on the meaning of ‘near’ and ‘distant’: near is central to the space-economy, it is a more flexible and powerful concept than is often appreciated, and it could be expanded to include both space and time. Thus, not only (near or distant) space, but also the time component is fundamental in the analysis of the interacting economic phenomena. In parallel with Tobler, Hägerstrand (1967) pointed to the relevance of joint space-time diffusion processes, and Wilson (1967) linked spatial interaction with statistical information principles and entropy laws. An associated microeconomic foundation of spatial interaction modelling was subsequently developed by Anas (1983) on the basis of random utility theory (McFadden, 1974). Later on, Nijkamp and Reggiani (1992) linked dynamic entropy with (dynamic) spatial interaction models.
The clear methodological interrelationships between the above-mentioned theories and models call for further reflections on the complexity of space-time phenomena and the simplicity of the laws describing these phenomena. The primary idea of complexity concerns the mapping of a system’s non-intuitive behaviour, particularly the evolutionary patterns of connections among interacting components of a system whose long-run behaviour is hard to predict. But, particularly at a dynamic level, it is noteworthy that May’s law (May, 1976) – describing the evolution of a population in discrete terms by means of a simple logistic equation – shows irregular and chaotic (and thus unpredictable) characteristics for certain values of the parameters and initial conditions. Also the ‘complex’ interacting evolution of two species can be described by the ‘simple’ Lotka-Volterra equations, whose analytical form is based on two interrelated logistic equations, and, surprisingly, the dynamic logistic equation turns out to be to be the dynamic form (under a certain condition of the utility function) of the associated logit model, and hence of the related spatial interaction model of the Wilson type (Reggiani, 2004).
The recent enormous interdisciplinary interest in network concepts, analysis, and modelling – arising from the study of complex interconnected dynamic systems – again underlines the ‘simplicity law’. Networks often show common behaviour, based on their topological characteristics, and this behaviour is mainly derived from exponential/power forms, which are strongly related to the equations that govern spatial interaction. In other words, the topological properties of a network can give useful insights into: how the network is structured; which are the most ‘important’ nodes/agents; and how network topology can influence the conventional spatial economic laws (such as equilibrium theory, spatial interaction theory, etc.). However, this topology structure is again expressed by very simple laws, and in most cases these laws can be interpreted in a spatial economic framework.
In this framework, it is still an open research issue which specific and novel contributions network analysis can offer to spatial economic analysis, and – vice versa – whether the solidity of spatial economic laws needs to be reconsidered in the light of recent advances in complexity and network theory. Hence, a dual analysis is necessary, in order to explore potential connections between these two approaches. In this respect, a synthesis of prelimin..
Accessibility, Connectivity and Resilience in Complex Networks
No full textThe ‘network embedding’ implications for complexity theory raise the issue of the search for a ‘hidden’ order/simplicity (Reggiani and Nijkamp, 2009). In this context, a dual analysis (Spatial Economic Science vs. Network Science) seems essential. This will be briefly reviewed in this chapter, by focusing on the role of accessibility. In particular we will show how accessibility can be the ‘simplest’ model which – by embedding connectivity – can link network science and spatial-economic science, and thus capture the homogeneity/heterogeneity of the spatial system concerned from both the methodological and the empirical viewpoint . Starting from these considerations, we will then explore the relationships between accessibility and an interesting concept linked to the robustness of the network: i.e. the resilience. Some reflections and suggestions for future research will be finally provided
A Conversation on Teatro di George Bernard Shaw, edited by Francesco Marroni
No full textEnrico Reggiani interviews Francesco Marroni on his latest publication, a meticulous edition of George Bernard Shaw’s dramatic work in Teatro (Bompiani, 2022)
New Oxford History of Music. Vol. VI: Musica da Concerto 1630-1750
No full textThis is the first Italian translation of the sixth volume of the monumental NEW Oxford History of Music. Vol. 6: Concert Music (1630-1750), edited by Gerald Abraham. Enrico Reggiani translated the chapters I-V (pp. 7-408)
Materialità della medicina antica. Aspetti grafici e materiali dei papiri medici dall'antico Egitto
No full textCome leggere la letteratura 2018 (nuova edizione riveduta e ampliata)
No full textI saggi sulla teoria e critica letteraria inclusi in questa antologia di strumenti critici non hanno ovviamente la pretesa dell’esaustività, ma fanno parte di un progetto scientifico e didattico in progress. S’intende, in tal modo, offrire agli studenti una selezione (in costante revisione e aggiornamento) di risorse ermeneutiche di natura teorica e culturologica a sostegno delle esercitazioni di analisi che, durante i corsi di Letteratura inglese del Prof. Reggiani, costituiscono la principale attività svolta in aula con la finalità di accrescere e consolidare la “competenza testuale” dei discenti
Papiri, medicina antica e cultura materiale. Contributi in ricordo di Isabella Andorlini
No full textMedica-Papyrologica. Specimina di ricerca presentati al convegno "Parlare la medicina" (Parma, 5-7 settembre 2016)
No full textLa "bacchetta magica del denaro". Suggerimenti per l'uso
No full textThis essay is an afterword to the first Italian translation of The Financial Expert, written by the Indo-English novelist R. K. Narayan. This book should have been the first number of a series (edited by Enrico Reggiani) of novels in translation with a strong economic flavour, published by Edizioni del Sole 24 Ore. It sold ca. 4.000 copies, but the publisher decided not to continue the series. Reggiani’s afterword intends to comment upon the relationships between literature and economy/economics in Narayan’s postcolonial fictional world and, more specifically, in the characteristically Indo-English urban scenery of his Malgudy
Papiri, medicina antica e cultura materiale. Contributi in ricordo di Isabella Andorlini
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