关键词: 空间交互, 距离衰减, 重力模型, 解析法, 模拟法

Abstract: Distance decay issue of spatial interactions in geography was described and analyzed, and a number of approaches were summarized to solve the gravity model. Firstly, many spatial interactions are governed by the distance decay effect, and the distance decay function quantitatively represents the distance effect. Among kinds of distance decay functions such as power law, exponential and other equations, the power law function reveals the inherent distance impacts behind spatial interactions so that the interaction formula becomes the gravity model, which is widely used in geography and regional economics. Secondly, the authors summarize some methods to quantify the distance decay function according to an interaction matrix and a distance matrix. The simulation results show that fitting the gravity model to estimate nodal attractions as well as the distance decay parameter is an appropriate way to apply the model.

Key words: spatial interactions, distance decay, gravity model, analytic approach, simulation approach