The pattern where the nth largest is 1/n the population of the largest

The pattern where the nth largest is 1/n the population of the largest

• A. Urban hierarchy
• B. Annexation
• C. Blockbusting
• D. Rank-size rule

Answer: (D)

The main idea is the rank-size rule for urban systems. In many countries, city populations follow a simple scaling: the nth largest city has about 1/n of the population of the largest city. So if the biggest city has 1,000,000 people, the second largest would be around 500,000, the third around 333,000, and so on. This creates a predictable urban hierarchy where a few large cities dominate, and many smaller ones fill in the rest. It’s a mathematical description of how city sizes tend to distribute themselves, though real-world factors like geography, history, and policy can cause deviations. This pattern is different from broader ideas like an overall urban hierarchy alone or practical processes like annexation or blockbusting.

The main idea is the rank-size rule for urban systems. In many countries, city populations follow a simple scaling: the nth largest city has about 1/n of the population of the largest city. So if the biggest city has 1,000,000 people, the second largest would be around 500,000, the third around 333,000, and so on. This creates a predictable urban hierarchy where a few large cities dominate, and many smaller ones fill in the rest. It’s a mathematical description of how city sizes tend to distribute themselves, though real-world factors like geography, history, and policy can cause deviations. This pattern is different from broader ideas like an overall urban hierarchy alone or practical processes like annexation or blockbusting.