Name: The surprising math of cities and corporations
Uploaded: 2011-07-26T14:32:00Z
Duration: 17 min 16 s
Description: Physicist Geoffrey West has found that simple, mathematical laws govern the properties of cities -- that wealth, crime rate, walking speed and many other aspects of a city can be deduced from a single number: the city's population. In this mind-bending talk from TEDGlobal he shows how it works and how similar laws hold for organisms and corporations.

Geoffrey West: The surprising math of cities and corporations

The surprising math of cities and corporations

Physicist Geoffrey West has found that simple, mathematical laws govern the properties of cities -- that wealth, crime rate, walking speed and many other aspects of a city can be deduced from a single number: the city's population. In this mind-bending talk from TEDGlobal he shows how it works and how similar laws hold for organisms and corporations.

Urbanization has surged so rapidly that by 2050, over a million people will join cities each week, transforming every aspect of life. Mathematical laws, similar to those in biology, govern everything from infrastructure to innovation in cities based on population size. Larger cities consistently produce more wealth, ideas, and even crime per person, but face an ever-accelerating cycle of growth and looming collapse. The dual nature of cities means they generate both devastating challenges and the creative solutions needed to survive.