Entropy maximizing models in regional analysis

The basic objective of this paper is to bring an overview on some research potentialities of entropy maximizing models in regional analysis, the discipline analysing spatial organisation of society on the regional level. The first part of the paper brings basic information on entropy as a concept of science: in classical (phenomenological) thermodynamics, in statistical mechanics (thermodynamics) and in information theory. In the second part the concept of maximum entropy and its relevance is discussed, particularly in statistical mechanics and information theory. A special attention (in the second part of the paper) is paid to maximizing entropy in the derivation of the distribution models in statistical mechanics using Boltzmann's entropy and to Jayne's maximum entropy principle enabling the derivation of these models by maximizing Shannon's entropy. The third part of the paper demonstrates how the entropy maximizing models can be used in regional analysis.