The hidden traits of endemic illiteracy in cities

Author(s)

Alves, Luiz G. A. ^[1] ; Andrade, Jr., Jose S. ^[2] ; Hanley, Quentin S. ^[3] ; Ribeiro, Haroldo V. ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Math & Comp Sci, BR-13566590 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Ceara, Dept Fis, BR-60451970 Fortaleza, CE - Brazil

^[3] Nottingham Trent Univ, Sch Sci & Technol, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG118 NS - England

^[4] Univ Estadual Maringa, Dept Fis, BR-87020900 Maringa, PR - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PHYSICA A-STATISTICAL MECHANICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS; v. 515, p. 566-574, FEB 1 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

In spite of the considerable progress towards reducing illiteracy rates, many countries, including developed ones, have encountered difficulty achieving further reduction in these rates. This is worrying because illiteracy has been related to numerous health, social, and economic problems. Here, we show that the spatial patterns of illiteracy in urban systems have several features analogous to the spread of diseases such as dengue and obesity. Our results reveal that illiteracy rates are spatially long-range correlated, displaying non-trivial clustering structures characterized by percolation-like transitions and fractality. These patterns can be described in the context of percolation theory of long-range correlated systems at criticality. Together, these results provide evidence that the illiteracy incidence can be related to a transmissible process, in which the lack of access to minimal education propagates in a population in a similar fashion to endemic diseases. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/16987-7 - A complex system approach to urban planning and development
• Grantee: Luiz Gustavo de Andrade Alves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral