The rank-size rule describes city size distributions using a pattern in which the nth largest city is roughly 1/n of the largest city. Who is the rule named after?

• A. Zipf, G
• B. Ravenstein, E
• C. Malthus, T
• D. Weber, M

Answer: (A)

This question tests Zipf’s law for city sizes. The rank-size rule says the population of the nth largest city is roughly 1/n of the largest city. It’s named after George Zipf, who formalized this relationship and showed how city sizes tend to follow a predictable inverse pattern. The other figures listed contributed to different ideas—Ravenstein with migration theories, Malthus with population-resource limits, and Weber with industrial location theory—so they aren’t associated with this specific urban-size distribution. In practice, the rule describes an idealized pattern that real city systems approximate, though actual data can show deviations due to various factors.