Characteristics of Population Distributions in Municipalities

Abstract

Population characterizes collective behaviors of human beings. In this paper we investigate cumulative population distribution of municipalities (cities, towns, and villages) of Japan to show that each of them can be represented by a characteristic distribution function. We also introduce a numerical model for population dynamics to explain the origin of the distributions. From our analysis it has become clear that each distribution originates from the lower and upper bounds of population in the definitions of cities and towns.