Complex Evolution Process of China's Air Transport Network

Graph index and complex network methods were used to evaluate the evolution process of China's air transport network( ATNC) during 1952-2008. The allometric growth was explored in the development history of ATNC,with the fluctuating growth of nodes( cities) and edges( airlines or citypairs). The average path length in ATNC was reduced from 5. 74 in 1952 to 2. 24 in 2008,which showed spatiotemporal convergence and increasing efficiency. In contrast,the clustering coefficient rose from 0 to 0. 69. Both the average path length and the clustering coefficient indicated a developing trajectory of smallworld network. A hierarchical structure was shaped in the upper airport system with degree over 14. Degree distribution showed the long-tail characteristics from 1952 and 1962,and then turned to a scale-free network. The degree-degree correlation shows as an inverse-U pattern,which is affected by complicated factors such as distance,technology,and economic elements. In summary,the paper gives an analysis on the evolution process of ATNC,which supplement the shortage of the complex network theory model and its application in air transport network,and provides an experimental base for establishing theoretical evolutionmodels.