Topological Properties of Urban Public Traffic Networks inChinese Top-Ten Biggest Cities

Abstract

We investigate the topological characteristics ofcomplex networks as exemplified by the urban public traffic network (UPTN) inChinese top-ten biggest cities. It is found that the UPTNs have small worldbehaviour, by the examination of their topological parameters. The quantitativeanalysis of the transport efficiency of the UPTNs reveals their higher localefficiency El and lower global efficiency Eg, which coincide well with thestatus quo of those Chinese cities still at their developing stage. Furthermore, thetopological properties of efficiency in the UPTNs are also examined, and thefindings indicate that, on the one hand, the UPTNs show robustness to random attacksand frangibility to malicious attacks on a global scale; on the other hand, theinterrelation between UPTN efficiency and network motifs deserves our attention. Themotifs which interrelate the UPTN efficiency are always triangular-formed patterns,e.g. motifs ID 238, ID 174 and ID 102, etc.