Research Of Centrality In The Complex Network Of Global Shipping

The influence that shipping areas have on the global shipping network is much greater than any port, and connections between these shipping areas affect the structure of the global shipping network. Therefore, a global shipping network, which regards shipping areas as its nodes and connections between them as its edges, was creatively proposed in this paper.Firstly, this paper carried on the systematic summary to some relevant complex network theories and current studies on the global shipping network.Then, Basing on the network centrality measures given by Freeman and the container deployment statistics among shipping areas from2001to2012, centrality in the global shipping network of these12consecutive years was comprehensively investigated. The results revealed that Europe, Mediterranean. North America East Coast, Far East, North America Gulf Coast, Indian subcontinent, Southern Africa were always in the top ten of the value of relative Degree Centrality (CD). No shipping area’s value of relative Betweenness Centrality (CB) exceeds0.1, excepting that Europe ranged from0.25-0.37. And the value of relative Closeness Centrality (Cc) of Europe, Mediterranean, North America East Coast, Far East, Indian subcontinent were always in the top ten. Meanwhile, the centrality of global shipping network as a whole, had maintained overall stability from2001to2012, with its value of Degree Centrality (CD) ranging from0.56-0.64, value of Betweenness Centrality (CB) ranging from0.23-0.37and value of Closeness Centrality (Cc) ranging from0.61-0.70. Moreover, the paper tried to make further discussions of the Centrality in global shipping network. Major findings are:1) shipping areas with higher centrality value widely distributed in the northern hemisphere, and less in the southern hemisphere.2) With a significant correlation between its Degree centrality and Closeness centrality, the global shipping network presented an obvious central tendency. At last, after some discussions on the evolutionary trend of the centrality in global shipping network, this paper made some suggestions for Chinese government, port companies and shipping companies.