MODELS FOR SPATIAL WEIGHTS - A SYSTEMATIC LOOK

General properties of spatial weights models, in particular Markovian properties, are systematically investigated The role of stationary spa tial distribution, interpretable as an importance-centrality or promin ence index, is emphasized. Spatial interaction models, and among them the gravity model, are classified with respect to the time reversal an d aggregation invariance properties obeyed by the associated spatial w eights. Nine examples, involving connectivity, flows and distance deca y analysis, integral geometry, and Dirichlet-Voronoi tessellations ill ustrate the main concepts, with a particular geometrical emphasis, and show how traditional, heuristic ingredients aimed at defining spatial weights can be recovered from general models.