Tag Archives: network analysis

Book Review: Transportation Network Analysis

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Revised on: 2015-09-09

Transportation Network Analysis by M. G. H. Bell and Yasunori Iida is a book for the expert rather than the novice. Drawing heavily on academic knowledge this book almost requires a degree in civil engineering before you even start reading. On a side note, I was lucky enough to meet up with both Bell and Iida at INSTR 2004 the  Second International Symposium on Transportation Network Reliability. If you’re seriously into transportation planning and analysis this is the book you should not miss. It teaches you all the basic concepts you need to know. For my part, I mostly use only one chapter from the book for my research, others may do the same with different parts of the book. That’s what makes it so useful.

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ArcView Network Analyst Tutorial

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Revised on: 2011-03-11

The ArcView Network Analyst (AVNA is extension module for ArcView GIS. This tutorial was developed by Jan Husdal at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 2000-2002. It shows how to solve 3 categories of network analysis problems; Find Best Route, Find Closest Facility and Find Service Area, and it comes complete with exercise data for download and a solution. Mind you, this is a tutorial for ArcView, not for ArcGIS.
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Shortest Path Computation: A Comparative Analysis

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Revised on: 2011-07-22

Current research work into establishing a performance efficiency hierarchy between Java, C++ and ArcView is described and experimentation is performed in order to statistically compare shortest path query execution time, response time and implementation issues.

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Book review: Networks and Algorithms

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Revised on: 2015-10-01

If you are into network analysis of any kind, this book teaches you the basics. As the name implies, Networks and Algorithms by Alan Dolan is an introductory book. It tells you the difference between the various forms and types of graphs, trees and networks and shows you step by step calculations on how to solve them by hand (they didn’t have that many computers in 1993). It doesn’t get any better than that, if you want to learn the core science of algorithms.

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How to make a straight line square

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Revised on: 2011-07-22

Euler’s famous “Königsberg bridge” question, dating back as far as 1736, is often seen as the starting point of modern path finding – was it possible to find a path through the city of Königsberg crossing each of its seven bridges once and only once and then returning to the origin? Euler’s methods formed the basis of what is known as graph theory, and which in turn paved the way for path finding algorithms. Traditionally, network analysis, path finding and route planning have been the domain of graph theory and vector GIS, which is where most algorithms find their application. Contrary to such common wisdom, the research of this thesis for the Msc in GIS explores the topic of network analysis in raster GIS, using MFworks as example software. Current algorithms, procedures and network modelling techniques are investigated and common artefacts are explained.

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Fastest path problems in dynamic transportation networks

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Revised on: 2011-07-22

This research essay and literature review investigates some of the gateways to path finding in static and dynamic networks that are listed in present research literature. A selected set of different approaches are highlighted and set in a broader context, illustrating the various aspects of path finding in static and dynamic networks. It is shown that the A* algorithm is the dominant algorithm for solving fastest path problems. A further attempt is made to draw attention to the advances that have been made in path finding in the field of robotics, in order to establish a lateral relation that can form the basis of further exploration and fruitful merger of the two research fields.

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Network analysis – raster versus vector – A comparison

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Revised on: 2015-10-05

Network analysis in GIS is often related to finding solutions to transportation problems. In a GIS the real world is represented by either one of two spatial models, vector-based, or raster-based. Real world networks, such as a road system, must be modelled appropriately to fit into the different spatial models. Even though the models differ, the solution to different transportation problems in either raster or vector GIS uses the same path finding algorithms. Whether raster or vector GIS is to be preferred is more a question of choice than of accuracy.

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