Parameter Estimation in Spatial Interaction Modeling

New ways of estimating the parameters of the so-called ‘doubly-constrained’ spatial interaction model are developed and tested against contemporary procedures. Two variations of the doubly-constrained model—growth-factor and interactance (that is, gravity and entropy) models—are considered: The structural characteristics of these models are specified and several new solution properties are established. Then alternative parameter-estimation strategies are formulated and tested. The proposed techniques (which solve problems that are equivalent to existing models) are shown to be inferior to current methodology with respect to all criteria related to solution speed. However, it is shown that the proposed methods are more flexible than current approaches since a wider range of assumptions can be incorporated into the analysis.