Exploring the topology of the maritime transport network in a large-scale archipelago: a complex network approach

Abstract

In this study, we use a complex network analysis approach to investigate the topological structure of container shipping networks in the Indonesia archipelago to understand the network topology. Containerized cargo is responsible for more than half of the inter-island trade volume, making it one critical freight transport mode in the Indonesia archipelago. We summarize the network topological structure by measures such as degree distribution, average path length, and average clustering coefficient. Based on the initial result, we find that the degree distribution of the container shipping network in archipelago fits a hybrid distribution. The distribution proves the studied network is not scale-free. With regards to the network structure, the archipelago’s shipping network exhibits a short path length and a low value of the clustering coefficient, potentially rejecting the small-world structure hypothesis. These initial findings provide evidence that the maritime shipping network in a large-scale archipelago shows a distinctive pattern compared to other maritime shipping networks in the existing literature.