POPULATION DYNAMICS IN NETWORK TOPOLOGY: THE CASE OF AIR TRANSPORT NETWORK IN TURKEY

Networks are models of communication systems expressing the complex state of interconnection, in terms of graphs. The network paradigm has been proven powerful in modeling the complexity of real-world communication structures, such as transportation, biological, and socioeconomic systems, of the World Wide Web, etc. Among the systems of human communication, the transportation networks are of great importance for scientific research because they are related to the human need for overcoming spatial constraints to move between places and thus to communicate. Based on their capability to integrate technological evolution faster than other means of transportation, air transport networks are of particular interest in transportation research. Therefore, studying the topology of air transport networks can provide useful insights about regional and economic development and growth, for the policy and decision makers. Network measures and cartogram mapping techniques are used for the analyses. Within this context, the present paper models the air transport network of Turkey into a graph and it analyses the dynamics of this network by using an equal population cartogram. The analysis reveals the uneven geography accompanied by a west and east duality in the network topology of the air transport network of Turkey.