Statistical Analysis of the Distribution of Points on a Network

Abstract

This paper shows four statistical methods that examine the distribution of points on a network (such as the distribution of retail stores along streets). The first statistical method is an extension of the nearest‐neighbor distance method (the Clark‐Evans statistic) defined on a plane to the method defined on a network. The second statistical method examines the effect of categorical attribute values of links (say, types of streets) on the distribution of activity points on a network. The third statistical method examines the effect of infrastructural elements (such as railway stations) on the distribution of activity points on a network. The fourth statistical method examines the compound effect of multiple kinds of infrastructural elements (say, railway stations and big parks) on the distribution of activity points on a network. These methods are discussed with empirical examples.