dodgr_flows_disperse: Aggregate flows dispersed from each point in a network.

In dodgr: Distances on Directed Graphs

Aggregate flows dispersed from each point in a network.

Description

Disperse flows throughout a network based on a input vectors of origin points and associated densities. Dispersal is implemented as an exponential decay, controlled by a parameter, k, so that flows decay with exp(-d / k), where d is distance. The algorithm allows for efficient fitting of multiple dispersal models for different coefficients to be fitted with a single call. Values of the dispersal coefficients, k, may take one of the following forms:

• A single numeric value (> 0), with dispersal along all paths calculated with that single value. Return object (see below) will then have a single additional column named "flow".

• A vector of length equal to the number of from points, with dispersal from each point then calculated using the corresponding value of k. Return object has single additional "flow" column.

• A vector of any other length (that is, > 1 yet different to number of from points), in which case different dispersal models will be fitted for each of the n specified values, and the resultant return object will have an additional 'n' columns, named 'flow1', 'flow2', ... up to 'n'. These columns must be subsequently matched by the user back on to the corresponding 'k' values.

• A matrix with number of rows equal to the number of from points, and any number of columns. Each column will then specify a distinct dispersal model, with different values from each row applied to the corresponding from points. The return value will then be the same as the previous version, with an additional n columns, "flow1" to "flown".

Flows are calculated by default on contracted graphs, via the contract = TRUE parameter. (These are derived by reducing the input graph down to junction vertices only, by joining all intermediate edges between each junction.) If changes to the input graph do not prompt changes to resultant flows, and the default contract = TRUE is used, it may be that calculations are using previously cached versions of the contracted graph. If so, please use either clear_dodgr_cache to remove the cached version, or dodgr_cache_off prior to initial graph construction to switch the cache off completely.

Usage

dodgr_flows_disperse(
  graph,
  from,
  dens,
  k = 500,
  contract = TRUE,
  heap = "BHeap",
  tol = 0.000000000001,
  quiet = TRUE
)

Arguments

graph	data.frame or equivalent object representing the network graph (see Details)
from	Vector or matrix of points from which aggregate dispersed flows are to be calculated (see Details)
dens	Vectors of densities corresponding to the from points
k	Width coefficient of exponential diffusion function defined as exp(-d/k), in units of distance column of graph (metres by default). Can also be a vector with same length as from, giving dispersal coefficients from each point. If value of k<0 is given, a standard logistic polynomial will be used.
contract	If TRUE (default), calculate flows on contracted graph before mapping them back on to the original full graph (recommended as this will generally be much faster). FALSE should only be used if the graph has already been contracted.
heap	Type of heap to use in priority queue. Options include Fibonacci Heap (default; FHeap), Binary Heap (BHeap), Trinomial Heap (TriHeap), Extended Trinomial Heap (TriHeapExt, and 2-3 Heap (Heap23).
tol	Relative tolerance below which dispersal is considered to have finished. This parameter can generally be ignored; if in doubt, its effect can be removed by setting tol = 0.
quiet	If FALSE, display progress messages on screen.

Value

Modified version of graph with additional flow column added.

See Also

Other flows: dodgr_flows_aggregate(), dodgr_flows_optalloc(), dodgr_flows_si()

Examples

# This is generally needed to explore different values of `k` on same graph:
dodgr_cache_off ()

graph <- weight_streetnet (hampi)
from <- sample (graph$from_id, size = 10)
dens <- rep (1, length (from)) # Uniform densities
graph <- dodgr_flows_disperse (graph, from = from, dens = dens)
# graph then has an additonal 'flows` column of aggregate flows along all
# edges. These flows are directed, and can be aggregated to equivalent
# undirected flows on an equivalent undirected graph with:
graph_undir <- merge_directed_graph (graph)

# Remove `flow` column to avoid warning about over-writing values:
graph$flow <- NULL
# One dispersal coefficient for each origin point:
k <- runif (length (from))
graph <- dodgr_flows_disperse (graph, from = from, dens = dens, k = k)
grep ("^flow", names (graph), value = TRUE)
# single dispersal model; single "flow" column

# Multiple models, muliple dispersal coefficients:
k <- 1:5
graph$flow <- NULL
graph <- dodgr_flows_disperse (graph, from = from, dens = dens, k = k)
grep ("^flow", names (graph), value = TRUE)
# Rm all flow columns:
graph [grep ("^flow", names (graph), value = TRUE)] <- NULL

# Multiple models with unique coefficient at each origin point:
k <- matrix (runif (length (from) * 5), ncol = 5)
dim (k)
graph <- dodgr_flows_disperse (graph, from = from, dens = dens, k = k)
grep ("^flow", names (graph), value = TRUE)
# 5 "flow" columns again, but this time different dispersal coefficients each
# each origin point.

dodgr documentation built on Sept. 3, 2026, 5:08 p.m.