How to Eliminate Certain Defects of the Potential Formula

J Bröcker
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J Bröcker: Institut für Theoretische Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Kiel, Olshausenstraße 40, D-2300 Kiel 1, FRG

Environment and Planning A, 1989, vol. 21, issue 6, 817-830

Abstract: The potential formula, defined as a sum of regional ‘masses’ weighted by a decreasing function of distance, is a conventional indicator of accessibility in spatial econometrics. If applied to a system of discrete points in space, however, the standard potential formula with an exponential distance-friction does not convey the desired information in the case of sufficiently large distance-friction parameters. The reason for this defect is that the so-called eigenpotential is inappropriately defined by the standard formula. After reviewing the theoretical foundations of the potential index and advocating its derivation from stochastic choice theory, this paper proposes a modification of the potential formula. The basic idea is to handle the region to which the potential refers as a continuous space with equally distributed density of mass. This leads to an index with desirable limiting properties with respect to the distance-friction parameter.

Date: 1989
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:21:y:1989:i:6:p:817-830

DOI: 10.1068/a210817

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