title: The Italian primary school-size distribution and the city-size: a complex nexus.
abstract: We characterize the statistical law according to which Italian primary school-size distributes. We find that the school-size can be approximated by a log-normal distribution, with a fat lower tail that collects a large number of very small schools. The upper tail of the school-size distribution decreases exponentially and the growth rates are distributed with a Laplace PDF. These distributions are similar to those observed for firms and are consistent with a Bose-Einstein preferential attachment process. The body of the distribution features a bimodal shape suggesting some source of heterogeneity in the school organization that we uncover by an in-depth analysis of the relation between schools-size and city-size. We propose a novel cluster methodology and a new spatial interaction approach among schools which outline the variety of policies implemented in Italy. Different regional policies are also discussed shedding lights on the relation between policy and geographical features.
authors: IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, Piazza S. Ponziano 6, 55100, Lucca, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Belmonte
authors: 1] IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, Piazza S. Ponziano 6, 55100, Lucca, Italy [2] Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi - CNR, Via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Di Clemente
authors: Department of Physics, Yeshiva University, New York, NY 10033, USA.
authors: Sergey V
authors: SV
authors: Buldyrev