Recently available experimental data on the spatial behavior of mobile individuals as they shop, go to work, marry, and migrate permit the study of individual information fields. The aggregation of such fields into a community mean information field has proven useful in the computer simulation of how information is spread over populated areas, and how innovations are adopted. Of the wide variety of curves which fit distance-contact data, four are discussed: Pareto, exponential, lognormal, and Pareto-exponential. In general, Pareto formulations work better for contacts not involving permanent or costly moves, whereas exponential functions seem better for migrations and marriage distances. Examples of fitted curves are given for Cleveland (1933–1936), Cedar Rapids (1949), Seattle (1962), Asby, Sweden, (1930–1939) and Kagawa, Japan (1951). Comparisons of data and curves for areas of varying population density and stage of economic development will enable future migration and spatial diffusion studies to proceed on a firmer basis.
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Morrill et al. (1967) studied this question.
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