The design of public transportation systems in urban areas often refle

Question

The design of public transportation systems in urban areas often reflects the balance between accessibility and efficiency. For example, in densely populated cities, subway networks tend to have a higher number of stations per mile of track compared to less populated cities. However, the growth in the number of stations is not proportional to the population size. Instead, researchers have observed that larger cities often optimize their transportation networks by concentrating stations in areas of highest demand, leaving lower-density regions with fewer stops. This results in a scaling relationship where the number of stations grows at a slower rate than the population.

A similar pattern can be observed in biological neural networks. In the brains of mammals, the number of neurons increases with brain size, but the number of connections per neuron decreases in larger brains. This phenomenon, known as "neural scaling," allows larger brains to process information efficiently without the prohibitive energy costs of maintaining an exponentially growing number of connections. For example, while a mouse's brain is densely interconnected, an elephant's brain compensates for its vast size by having fewer connections per neuron.

Systems scientist Deborah Gordon has suggested that such scaling reflects a universal principle of network optimization. Whether in urban transit systems or neural networks, the goal is to balance the benefits of connectivity with the constraints of energy, space, and time. These trade-offs shape the efficiency of systems across vastly different contexts.    1 
 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. describe a principle that explains patterns observed in various systems
B. argue for the applicability of a specific scientific theory to diverse contexts
C. examine differences in the structures of natural and human-made systems
D. illustrate a biological phenomenon by comparing examples from different domains
E. suggest that efficiency is a defining feature of complex systems

2 
 2. The primary purpose of the passage’s discussion of neural scaling in mammals is to

A. provide an example to demonstrate the energy trade-offs inherent in biological systems
B. extend the concept of network optimization to include the structural features of urban systems
C. illustrate a general principle regarding the relationship between network complexity and size
D. support a claim about the differences between natural and human-made networks
E. suggest that neural networks are more efficient than other types of networks

3 
 3. Which of the following is most strongly supported by the information in the passage?

A. Larger cities require fewer transportation connections per capita compared to smaller cities.
B. In mammals, the total number of connections per neuron decreases as the brain size increases.
C. The number of neurons in the brain increases in proportion to the size of the mammal, but the number of connections per neuron decreases.
D. Neural scaling in mammals is primarily driven by the energy needs of individual neurons.
E. Efficiency in complex systems is achieved by maximizing the number of connections per unit of size.

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Bunuel · Answer

Official Solution:

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. describe a principle that explains patterns observed in various systems
B. argue for the applicability of a specific scientific theory to diverse contexts
C. examine differences in the structures of natural and human-made systems
D. illustrate a biological phenomenon by comparing examples from different domains
E. suggest that efficiency is a defining feature of complex systems

A. describe a principle that explains patterns observed in various systems  
  
Correct.  The passage discusses scaling principles that explain patterns in urban transportation systems and biological neural networks, making this the most accurate summary of the passage’s purpose.
 
  B. argue for the applicability of a specific scientific theory to diverse contexts  
  
Incorrect.  The passage does not argue for a specific theory; it describes observed patterns and principles without advocating for a particular theoretical framework. 
  
C. examine differences in the structures of natural and human-made systems  
  
Incorrect.  While the passage compares urban and biological systems, the focus is on their shared scaling principles, not on highlighting differences. 
  
D. illustrate a phenomenon by comparing examples from different domains  
  
Incorrect.  While the passage provides examples, its primary purpose is to explain a general principle, not merely to illustrate a biological phenomenon. 
  
E. suggest that efficiency is a defining feature of complex systems  
  
Incorrect.  Although efficiency is discussed as part of the trade-offs in scaling, the passage’s focus is broader, encompassing the explanation of scaling principles rather than solely emphasizing efficiency.

2. The primary purpose of the passage’s discussion of neural scaling in mammals is to

A. provide an example to demonstrate the energy trade-offs inherent in biological systems
B. extend the concept of network optimization to include the structural features of urban systems
C. illustrate a general principle regarding the relationship between network complexity and size
D. support a claim about the differences between natural and human-made networks
E. suggest that neural networks are more efficient than other types of networks

A. provide an example to demonstrate the energy trade-offs inherent in biological systems  
  
Incorrect.  While energy trade-offs are mentioned, the primary focus is on illustrating the relationship between size and network complexity, not just energy efficiency. 
  
B. extend the concept of network optimization to include the structural features of urban systems  
  
Incorrect.  The discussion of neural scaling does not extend concepts to urban systems; it focuses specifically on biological neural networks. 
  
C. illustrate a general principle regarding the relationship between network complexity and size 
 
Correct.  The discussion of neural scaling in mammals demonstrates how network complexity adapts to size, aligning with the broader principle of balancing connectivity and efficiency in systems. 
  
D. support a claim about the differences between natural and human-made networks  
  
Incorrect.  The passage does not emphasize differences between natural and human-made networks in this context but rather highlights a shared principle. 
  
E. suggest that neural networks are more efficient than other types of networks  
  
Incorrect.  The passage does not compare the efficiency of neural networks to other types of networks; it focuses on the scaling principle within neural networks themselves.

3. Which of the following is most strongly supported by the information in the passage?

A. Larger cities require fewer transportation connections per capita compared to smaller cities.
B. In mammals, the total number of connections per neuron decreases as the brain size increases.
C. The number of neurons in the brain increases in proportion to the size of the mammal, but the number of connections per neuron decreases.
D. Neural scaling in mammals is primarily driven by the energy needs of individual neurons.
E. Efficiency in complex systems is achieved by maximizing the number of connections per unit of size.

A. Larger cities require fewer transportation connections per capita compared to smaller cities.
  
  Incorrect.  While a similar scaling principle is mentioned for cities, the passage does not provide specific support for this statement in the context of transportation connections. 
  
B. In mammals, the total number of connections per neuron decreases as the brain size increases. 
 
Correct.  The passage explicitly states that as brain size increases, the number of connections per neuron decreases, aligning with the concept of scaling principles in neural networks. 
  
C. The number of neurons in the brain increases in proportion to the size of the mammal, but the number of connections per neuron decreases.  
  
Incorrect.  The passage does not state that the number of neurons increases in direct proportion to mammal size; it focuses on the decrease in connections per neuron as brain size increases. 
  
D. Neural scaling in mammals is primarily driven by the energy needs of individual neurons.  
  
Incorrect.  The passage does not claim that energy needs are the primary driver of neural scaling. It emphasizes network optimization rather than individual neuron energy requirements. 
  
E. Efficiency in complex systems is achieved by maximizing the number of connections per unit of size.  
  
Incorrect.  The passage suggests that efficiency involves balancing connectivity and resource constraints, not maximizing the number of connections per unit of size.

The design of public transportation systems in urban areas often refle

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The design of public transportation systems in urban areas often refle

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